Love for Hiei
by harpiegal
Summary: After the team saves a mute girl named Mai, Hiei becomes skeptical of her presence and seems to not trust her. After he hears her talk for the first time, he becomes captivated by her and wishes to win her over
1. Chapter 1

_Name: Mai  
>Age: 21 (same as Hiei and the others)<br>Height: same as Hiei (5 ft.)  
>Hair Color: black, reaches her shoulders<br>Eye Color: brown  
>Race: human with a high degree of Spirit Energy<br>Her Story: Mai once lived a happy life with her mother, her father dying in a battle to protect them from burglars when Mai was 9. After her mother became ill and died, she set out to live on her own, carrying a sack that only held a majority of her mother's clothes. Later on, she was kidnapped by a male tiger demon so he could use her powerful Spirit Energy for his own personal use. Part 1 will begin in Mai's POV as Yukina joins her in the basement of the tiger demon's domain. Also in part 1, Hiei learns of his sister's abduction, and the rest of Team Urameshi join him as they arrive at the tiger demon's domain, an abandoned mansion in Spirit World. What will they say when they realize Yukina isn't alone? Stay tuned to find out_

Love for Hiei

_Mai's POV_:  
>For several weeks, I have been held in the domain of a tiger demon known only as Ryoh. He apparently heard of how powerful my Spirit Energy was and wanted to use it for his own personal gain, and he'd punish me each time I would try to escape. With each punishment given, he'd take away a meal. At times I would go without food for an entire day, which made me too weak to use my Spirit Energy to defend myself.<br>"Okay, missy! Get in there!"  
>I looked up as a young girl was thrown into the basement. Ryoh wanted to hold his victims in secrecy, so he took refuge inside of an abandoned mansion that was rumored to be haunted by the spirits of those who lived there before. Apparently, this girl's abilities, whatever they were, intrigued Ryoh enough to where he would hold her here, as well. I noticed she had bluish-green hair and crimson eyes. She looked up at me and smiled, but it disappeared as Ryoh looked at me.<br>"I must admit, Mai, you've surprised me today. You haven't tried a single escape attempt. Keep it up, and I'll consider feeding you again."  
>After he locked the basement doors, the girl looked at me closely.<br>"How long have you been down here?"  
>I looked away and felt tears come down my face. Ever since I've been kept here, I haven't spoken a word. Along with losing food privileges, I would sometimes be punished physically, and I became mute because of it. I simply held up three fingers and she raised an eyebrow at me.<br>"Days, weeks, or months?"  
>I held up two fingers, and she looked at me surprised.<br>"You've been here for three weeks? Is it because of your Spirit Energy?"  
>I nodded my head and looked out the window as rain began to fall. The girl came to join me and sighed.<br>"My name's Yukina. Wish we could've met on better terms."  
>I shook her hand and she smiled sadly.<br>"I'm a Koorime. I'm the type of demon that can produce expensive jewels through my tears. Because of this, many people have tried to use my tear gems to become really rich. My brother, Hiei, can produce them, too. He's actually half-Koorime, and half-fire."  
>I raised an eyebrow at this, but said nothing. Yukina gasped as she saw four forms in the fog that had formed. She smiled as she spotted her brother.<br>"Mai, see that man with the spiked black hair wearing all black? That's my brother, Hiei. The redhead is Kurama, the one with black hair is Yusuke, and the tall one with orange hair is Kuwabara, but I call him Kazuma because that's his first name."  
>Loud footsteps sounded from the stairs, and I pushed Yukina behind me as Ryoh approached with a large sword in one hand.<br>"Gotta find us a new place, girls. Koenma found out where I was hiding and he's sent his team of Spirit Detectives to try taking me in. let's go."  
>I took Yukina's hand and tried running past him, but he blocked the path with his sword.<br>"You haven't learned, have you? No one escapes from Ryoh!"  
>He tried swinging his sword at us, so I picked up Yukina and hurried up the stairs. After getting to the front doors, I put her down and she took my hands.<br>"Thank you so much for helping me. How can I repay you?"  
>I smiled and shook my head as she let go. Ryoh's footsteps were heard in the distance, and he didn't sound too happy.<br>"Damn you, Mai! Wait until I get my hands on you!"  
>He came into view, and was quickly hit by an attack of mine called the Spirit Whip. It looked like a regular whip and can hand out serious damage, but it was made up entirely of my own Spirit Energy. This was the main reason why Ryoh sought me out. He forced me to use this technique against many enemies, something I felt guilty of seeing as how I was the one that ended up causing damage.<br>"Yukina, my love!"  
>We turned around to see Yukina's friends enter through the front doors. Yusuke smirked as he looked at Ryoh.<br>"This is the guy Koenma had us search for, eh? I've seen much bigger demons than this guy."  
>"Yusuke, we must not underestimate him. He may not be too big, but he makes up for it by the size of his weapons."<br>Ryoh glared at Kurama and raised his sword.  
>"I'm not giving up these girls so easily! Come and get them if you dare!"<br>Kuwabara led Yukina outside, followed by Kurama. I tried to hurry after them, but Ryoh picked me up with his tail.  
>"Don't even try running from me, Mai. Remember your last punishment?"<br>I stopped struggling to get away. Yusuke smirked at me and gave me a thumbs-up.  
>"Leave it to us. We'll take care of him, no problem."<br>"Stay focused, detective. This isn't over yet."  
>"Relax, Hiei. I can take this guy on by myself."<br>Ryoh, seeing as how I wouldn't be of any help to him now, threw me to the ground. I landed hard on my left leg, and the pain set in very quickly. After Yusuke took care of Ryoh with a Spirit Gun, he checked out my leg.  
>"At least it's just your leg. Nothing a little healing won't cure."<br>After he carried me outside, Yukina knelt beside me after I was placed onto the ground. Kuwabara smiled at me and held up a hand in greeting.  
>"Yukina just finished telling us about you. Thanks a lot for helping her escape."<br>"Kazuma, I'm afraid she won't be able to answer you."  
>"Huh? I don't get it."<br>"Fool. Mai can't answer because she's mute. Being here has caused her great pain, and that resulted in her not speaking because of the trauma she went through."  
>"Shut it, Hiei!"<br>_Hiei's POV_:  
>After Mai was set onto the ground, Yukina went to work healing her damaged leg. The injury wasn't too severe, so it'd heal quickly. Besides Yusuke, I haven't seen any other human with such a high degree of Spirit Energy. She looked weak from a lack of nourishment, something that I'm sure Kurama's cooking could cure. Kurama picked Mai up and smiled at her.<br>"We all live in Koenma's mansion. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to provide you with a place to stay. You look like you could use some food, as well."  
>Mai said nothing as her stomach growled slightly. Hearing it, Kuwabara smirked.<br>"Now that you mention it, Kurama, I'm getting hungry myself."  
>"As soon as we get Mai settled in, I'll fix us something to eat."<br>Soon, we arrived at Koenma's mansion, where he sat waiting in the living room. Upon hearing us, he stood up and smiled.  
>"Set her down here on the couch, Kurama. She looks like she needs some rest."<br>"Of course."  
>After Mai got comfortable, I felt her looking at me. Yukina must've told her that I was her brother. Considering Mai was helping her escape from Ryoh, Yukina felt it was okay to tell her about me. She smiled at me, and I narrowed my eyes at her. She then looked away as the others began telling her more about themselves. When she was well, I plan on expressing my gratitude for her helping my sister. When I heard that Yukina was abducted, I began to worry. As soon as Ryoh was in sight, I wanted to tear him apart for what he did. Knowing my sister was safe because of Mai's help was something I doubt I'd forget anytime soon. After everyone else had left the room, Mai saw me approach and shifted her legs so that there was room for me on the couch. I sat down and looked at her closely.<br>"I'm grateful that you helped my sister, but that doesn't mean I fully trust you. Regardless of the fact that you helped Yukina, I plan on keeping my eye on you to make sure you do no harm to anyone while you're here. Don't get on my bad side, and you just might survive it here."  
>She nodded her head and watched me as I got up and walked away. I felt her eyes on me as I headed up the stairs to my room. Her Spirit Energy fully recovered, and I found myself intrigued at how much she had. Mai had about as much Spirit Energy as Yusuke and looked like she could be a decent fighter, too. I also grew curious as to when she would begin speaking. While it does provide me with some peace, she'll have to talk to someone eventually.<br>_That's a wrap for part 1. Mai and Yukina manage to escape from Ryoh, and Yusuke takes him down easily with his Spirit Gun. Team Urameshi immediately take a liking to the girl that helped Yukina, but Hiei plans on keeping an eye on Mai until he can fully trust her. Part 2 will feature Yukina helping Mai settle into her new room at Koenma's mansion. Also in part 2, Kurama teaches Mai how to cook. Stay tuned to see how it goes_


	2. Chapter 2

_Love for Hiei Part 2_

Mai had few belongings, so helping her unpack wouldn't be too much of a hassle. While I placed towels into her bathroom, she was busy fixing up the bed sheets. I had given her some spare sheets and covers since she had none of her own, and I could tell she was thankful.  
>"Mai, I put fresh towels into your bathroom. Maybe a nice, hot shower will help relax you."<br>She didn't speak, as if thinking it over. She then nodded and I gave her a bottle of shampoo. An eyebrow was raised and I laughed slightly at her expression.  
>"Squeeze some into your hand and work it into your hair. It'll help untangle any knots you have and help keep your hair shiny and clean."<br>After she entered the bathroom, she paused for a minute to put a hand on my shoulder. I smiled and put a hand on top of hers.  
>"You're welcome."<br>I shut the bathroom door and headed downstairs, where Kurama greeted me.  
>"Yukina, did she get settled in?"<br>"She did. She's in her bathroom freshening up. Unpacking didn't take long since she only had a few items of clothing with her."  
>"After what she went through, I'd say she's entitled to relaxation."<br>"I agree."  
>I sat down beside Hiei on the couch, his expression as uninterested as always.<br>"It's awful what she went through, isn't it?"  
>"Hn. Main thing is that no one innocent was disposed of today."<br>"True."  
>Yusuke emerged from the kitchen and smirked.<br>"Good news, guys. Koenma says that since Mai put her life on the line to help Yukina, he's offering Mai a chance to join us."  
>Hiei rolled his eyes and stood up.<br>"Last thing we need is another human to mess things up."  
>"C'mon, Hiei. You have to admit that Kuwabara and I have improved quite well since you teamed up with us."<br>"That may be true, detective, but I don't plan on working with her until I find out more about where she came from. She may have helped my sister, but that doesn't give me enough reason to trust her."  
>Kurama sighed heavily at my brother and shook his head.<br>"Hiei, be reasonable. With the state Mai was found in and how she helped Yukina escape, by what means would she pose as a threat?"  
>"For all I know this whole thing could've been planned out. Ryoh could've been a decoy to lure Yukina out of hiding, and Mai could've very well been a part of it."<br>"Brother, Kurama's right. Mai saved my life. Because of that, you owe her. Had it not been for Mai, I may not be sitting here talking with you right now."  
>Hiei sighed and walked upstairs, presumably to his room. Kurama put a hand on my shoulder and smiled.<br>"He is thankful Mai helped you, Yukina, but he does have a right to be concerned. He's only looking out for you."  
>"I know he is. But ever since he told me of who he was, he has become very protective of doesn't need to worry so much, though."<br>"He knows that, but he can't help himself. You are his only living relative and if anything happened to you, he'd be all alone again." 

_Mai's POV_:  
>I had just finished putting on a white blouse and black skirt when a knock was heard at my door. I opened it to see Hiei, his eyes as narrow as they were when I arrived. I raised an eyebrow at him, but allowed him to enter before locking the door behind me.<br>"I have a few questions to ask you, and I expect to get answers."  
>Considering what could've happened to his sister, he did have a right to get answers. I offered him a seat on the couch in my room, and he sat down while keeping his eyes on me.<br>"How can I be sure that what happened was true, that all of this wasn't planned out to lure us out? For allI know, you're just a pawn in someone else's game. While I am thankful that you helped Yukina, I can't say that I fully trust you yet."  
>I nodded, understanding where he was coming from. I could tell from what Yukina told me if him that they were close.<br>"Answer me this, Mai. What kind of life did you have? What kind of life led you to being captured by Ryoh?"  
>I grew tense at the thought of telling him where I came from. The mere image of what happened to my parents still hadn't left my mind. Hiei, growing frustrated, angrily pinned me to the wall beside my bed.<br>"Damn it, woman. Answer me!"  
>Tears came to my eyes as the gruesome images returned to my head. I nodded, which was all he needed to enter my thoughts. <p>

_Hiei's POV_:  
>I entered Mai's thoughts, and I'd be lying if I said the images weren't disturbing. I saw her start out with a happy life, but then it changed. I saw her father slaughtered at the hands of burglars as he tried protecting her and her mother. I also saw her mother's battle and death with the illness, a severe form of bronchitis. What disturbed me more was seeing the physical punishments she suffered at the hands of Ryoh during her isolation in his domain. I immediately left her mind, and my eyes widened as I saw the tears fall down her face. I let go of her and proceeded to walking out the door, looking back at her one more time.<br>"I apologize if you felt I was intruding, but I had to be sure your intentions were good and that you weren't really after my sister."  
>Mai weakly smiled at me and shook her head, as if dismissing my apology. I exited her room and headed for my own, eager for time to myself to let everything I saw sink in. <p>

_Mai's POV_:  
>After heading downstairs, I saw Yusuke and Kuwabara playing a videogame on the television. They paused it as they saw me enter the living room.<br>"Hey, Mai. Settled in?"  
>I nodded and smiled, looking at Yusuke with interest.<br>"What's up?"  
>"Urameshi, I think she's curious about your Spirit Gun and how you were able to use it."<br>"Is that it, Mai?"  
>I nodded and he escorted me to the training room. He held up his hand as if it were a gun, and smirked as he saw me mimic his movement.<br>"What I do is concentrate my energy so that it flows through my finger. Once I have enough to use, I unleash it."  
>I tried it, and smirked at Yusuke's face as he saw my finger begin to glow.<br>"No way. You haven't even been trained to use this yet."  
>I unleashed it on a target on the wall and saw it turn into ashes. Impressed, Yusuke put a hand on my shoulder.<br>"For someone that has no formal training with the Spirit Gun, that was pretty good. I think Koenma could tell how much Spirit Energy you had when he suggested you join our team. You hungry?"  
>Now that he mentioned it, I did feel pretty hungry. I hadn't eaten anything in a couple of weeks, and I had been using my energy to keep me alive. My stomach growled and Yusuke smirked.<br>"Guess that's a yes. I think Kurama's fixing up something to eat."  
>Yusuke resumed his game with Kuwabara and I entered the kitchen to see if Kurama needed help. He sensed me beside him and smiled.<br>"If you like, you can slice up some onions and peppers. I hope you don't mind having fajitas tonight."  
>I smiled and got right to work. I got out a cutting board and got to work slicing up some peppers. Some looked perfect, and others not so much. Either way, I could tell Kurama was impressed with what he saw.<br>"Good job, Mai. I think that about does it. Everything looks ready to go. Do you think you can get Hiei for me?"  
>I headed up the stairs to Hiei's room, hesitant about knocking on the door. I summoned up courage and knocked twice before Hiei abruptly opened it.<br>"What do you want?"  
>I pointed down to the kitchen, and he caught the scents of what was cooking. He shut his door and followed me down the stairs. I put a hand on his shoulder and he narrowed his eyes at me.<br>"Now what?"  
>I reached into my pocket and produced an item I had found in a small creek by the forest near where I used to live. Hiei's eyes widened as he looked at the object, curious as to how I got my hands on it.<br>_That's a wrap for part 2. Yukina helps Mai settle into her new room at Koenma's, and Hiei sees Mai's thoughts on the life she once lived. On their way to dinner, Mai shows Hiei something that shocks him to hiscore. What the item is and Hiei's reaction is featured in part 3. Stay tuned to see what Hiei has to say_


	3. Chapter 3

_Love for Hiei Part 3_

Seeing my mother's tear gem again brought back the memory of the day I lost it. Demons all over wanted it, and I eventually lost it at the hands of one that was attacking me for it. I narrowed my eyes at Mai, now greatly interested in how it came to be in her possession.  
>"Where did you find this?"<br>She put the tear gem around my neck and placed one of my hands on her forehead. Soon, the image came to my mind. I saw Mai had just left her old home when she came across a small creek. She knelt beside it to take a drink and cool herself off, then spotted something shiny in the water. She picked the tear gem up and examined it, then looked around for anyone that may have lost it. After seeing no one come to her calls, she put it in her pocket with a smile on her face. I left her mind and held the gem that was, once again, around my neck.  
>"I see. This happened not too long before Ryoh found you?"<br>I got a nod and hurried past her to the kitchen to get some food. Kurama looked behind me to see Mai wasn't present.  
>"Hiei, where's Mai?"<br>"She'll be down in a minute."  
>Kuwabara noticed the tear gem around my neck and smirked.<br>"Cool necklace, Hiei. Where'd you get it?"  
>"Hn. Like I'd tell you."<br>Kurama shook his head and examined it.  
>"Isn't this the tear gem your mother gave you? I thought you lost it."<br>"Apparently before Ryoh found her, Mai found it in a creek near a forest where her old home was. She gave it to me as soon as she presented it to me."  
>"Brother, I think I know why."<br>I looked at Yukina as she showed me her own tear gem.  
>"She saw my tear gem after I told her about you. She must've seen how yours looked the same as mine, and that may have been the clue she needed to see that you were the owner of the other tear gem."<br>I took in what she said and was about to say something else when Mai entered the room. Kurama handed her a plate of food and she smiled at him as he complimented her on how well she did in the kitchen. She sat down on the windowsill and ate as she watched the sun begin to set. 

_Mai's POV_:  
>As I ate my fajita, I began to process all that happened today. I found freedom and helped someone escape harm, found a new place to live, and made new friends. I even gave Hiei his long-thought lost tear gem, which I could tell shocked him greatly. I sighed heavily as I leaned my head against the wall, unaware I had company.<br>"Apparently, we both have a good choice on where to enjoy peace."  
>I jumped as Hiei sat across from me on the windowsill. I put my fajita down and smiled at the tear gem around Hiei's neck. He saw where my gaze was and put in under his shirt.<br>"Hn."  
>We looked out the window in silence as we ate our food. After he was done, I took his plate for him. I felt it was the least I could do since I was staying here now. He looked like he was about to say something, but I put up my hand. He seemed to get the hint, so he sat back down and looked out to the sunset. Kurama took my plates and smiled.<br>"I see Hiei allowed you to sit on the windowsill."  
>I raised an eyebrow at this and he chuckled.<br>"The windowsill is his place to have time to himself. Besides his own room, he feels at ease on the windowsill as he looks out to the scenery. I must admit the fact that he didn't kick you off surprises me a little, but I think he's beginning to get used to you being here. I tihnk it's mostly because of how you helped Yukina escape from Ryoh's domain."  
>I nodded in agreement and helped Kurama scoop out some vanilla ice-cream. He gave me an extra bowl, which I assumed was for Hiei.<br>"I made it myself. He doesn't usually eat anything but my cooking. He may not admit it, but he thinks it's better than what you can just buy from a store."  
>I took an extra spoon and held out the bowl to Hiei, who looked at me with his eyebrows raised.<br>"Now what, Mai?"  
>I smiled as I held the bowl closer to his face, and he smirked as he took it. I was about to sit down on the living room couch when he adjusted himself so that there was some extra room.<br>"Sit."  
>I sat down and dug into the ice-cream. I had to admit, Kurama did a great job. I never really tried ice-cream before, and this was the best I ever had. Hiei smirked at my facial expression and shook his head.<br>"That's exactly how I reacted when Kurama made me try his ice-cream. His food tastes a lot better than what I've had in the past."  
>I agreed with him there, and we finished our dessert in silence. I was about to go to the couch to sit down when Hiei put a hand on my shoulder. I raised an eyebrow at him and he smirked.<br>"Thank you again for helping my sister and finding my mother's tear gem. I think that settles it, then."  
>I raised my eyebrow again, and he shook his head.<br>"Don't tell anyone this, but I feel as if I can already trust you. What you did today proved you can be trusted."  
>I nodded, making a mental note to not tell anyone of our private conversations.<br>_That's a wrap for part 3. After seeing Mai's thoughts on how she got her hands on Hiei's tear gem, he now feels he can trust her based on her actions that day. After 1 week of living with Team Urameshi, Mai finally says her first sentence since arriving. Who does she speak to? That and Mai's first meeting with Koenma will be featured on part 4. Stay tuned_


	4. Chapter 4

_Love for Hiei Part 4_

_Mai's POV_:  
>One week has passed since I began living with Team Urameshi, and I've found common interests with all of them. I get along with Yusuke because he has been teaching me to use the Spirit Gun technique, Kuwabara because of our love for kittens, and Kurama because I now enjoy cooking as much as he does. Hiei talks to me more than he used to, which I feel is a good sign that he meant what he said about trusting me. Another sign that he trusts me is that he allows me entrance to his room, something he has only allowed Kurama and Yukina to do.<br>"Yo, Mai. Come here."  
>I entered the living room to see Yusuke and Hiei standing near a portal. I raised an eyebrow at Yusuke, and he smirked at my confused expression.<br>"It's a portal. Our boss, Koenma, summoned one so we can take you to meet him. Follow us."  
>After Yusuke disappeared, I looked at Hiei and he smirked.<br>"He likes to think he's in charge. Just do what he says; it enlightens him."  
>I giggled and we followed after Yusuke. I found myself standing in front of two giant, red doors which I assumed had Koenma's office behind them. Yusuke knocked on the doors loudly as soon as he approached them.<br>"Hey, Binky-Breath! We got Mai!"  
>"No need to yell, Yusuke. I can hear you just fine. Come on in."<br>We entered as the doors automatically opened. I saw who I assumed to be Koenma standing on top of the desk. I looked closely at him, and Koenma seemed to know what I was thinking.  
>"Don't let my appearance fool you, Mai. I am Koenma. Did Yusuke happen to fill you in on why I summoned you here?"<br>I shook my head and Yusuke laughed while putting a hand behind his head.  
>"Kinda neglected to tell her."<br>"I swear, Yusuke, it's a miracle how I've managed to put up with you for so long. Anyway Mai, Yusuke has mentioned to me about how you put your life on the line to help Yukina escape from that tiger demon, and he also tells me your Spirit Energy is quite strong. It'd be an honor to have you join Team Urameshi."  
>I looked at Hiei confused, and he sighed as he looked at Koenma.<br>"Koenma, it may help if you tell Mai exactly what it is we do."  
>"Ah, right. Well, Team Urameshi is a group of Spirit Detectives. What they do is make sure to bring back demons that have illegally entered the Human World, and to keep an eye on criminal activity here in Spirit World. Is this something you'd like to do?"<br>I smiled and nodded my head at the thought of helping my new friends. Koenma shook my hand and smiled.  
>"Welcome to Team Urameshi, Mai."<br>"Sorry sir, but you have to be taken to Spirit World Prison. You've been charged with illegal entry to the Human World, and as such must be taken into custody immediately."  
>We all stood up as we saw what appeared to be a couple ogres fighting off a red-headed fire demon. Obviously angry, the man was trying to pick a fight with Koenma for him noticing his illegal entry to the Human World. Yusuke approached and was able to help get the guy to the hall. After Koenma's doors were locked, Yusuke confronted the fire demon, who was now known to be Sora.<br>"Look, man. You got caught, and the rules say you have to be taken into custody. They're just doing their job."  
>Sora tried approaching Yusuke, but I got in front of him. Sora simply laughed as I did this.<br>"You really think a puny human girl like you can take on a fire demon like me? I'd like to see you try."  
>I smirked and decided to teach him a lesson by kicking him where the sun doesn't shine. Yusuke and Hiei flinched slightly at this action, not expecting me to do it. As guards took Sora away, Yusuke shuddered as he looked at me.<br>"Damn, Mai. Remind me not to get you mad."  
>I waved it off, as if to tell him he didn't need to worry about that. Just as we were leaving, I saw Sora coming at us from the corner of my eye. This time, he had a small knife in his hand.<br>"No one makes a fool out of Sora!"  
>He tried swinging it at Hiei, but I got in his way, taking the blow. I cringed in pain as the knife cut my stomach. I felt myself grow faint, then I passed out as I fell to the ground. <p>

_Hiei's POV_:  
>I managed to catch Mai before she hit the ground.<br>"Mai..."  
>"Hiei, you take Mai to the infirmary. I'll stay with these guys when they take him into custody to make sure he doesn't try and escape again."<br>"Hn."  
>As quickly as I could, I took Mai to the infirmary, and was immediately greeted by a group of doctors. One of them placed her onto a bed.<br>"Koenma told us you'd be bringing her in. We'll take care of her."  
>I was about to leave when I felt Mai take my hand. She looked up at me weakly, and my eyes widened as I saw tears fall down her face.<br>"Hiei, please stay."  
>I was shocked beyond belief at finally hearing her talk. Her voice sounded as innocent at Yukina's voice, but Mai's words sounded like they came from the mouth of an angel. I looked at one of the doctors, and she smiled at me.<br>"You may stay if you wish. There's a chair beside the bed."  
>I sat as I watched them work on Mai's stomach wound. I sensed that the others have arrived, and I was about to stand up when I felt Mai place a hand on my shoulder.<br>"Where are you going?"  
>"The others just showed up. I'm going to inform them of how you're doing."<br>"Promise you'll come back?"  
>I smiled slightly as I placed a hand on hers.<br>"Of course I'll come back. I never break a promise to a friend. As soon as they give me the word, I'll come back in."  
>"Okay."<br>I exited the infirmary and saw Kurama, Yusuke, and Koenma sitting on a bench in the hall. They stood up as I approached them. Yusuke spoke up first.  
>"How is she?"<br>"They're working on her right now. The cut on her stomach looked pretty bad."  
>"Damn."<br>Kurama narrowed his eyes as a doctor emerged.  
>"How is she?"<br>"She'll survive, but must refrain from heavy activity because there's always a chance of her wound reopening. Hiei, you may go in and see her now."  
>Koenma smiled and looked at Mai.<br>"Took a lot of guts to do what she did."  
>"Yeah, Binky-Breath, you're right about that. Got the guy really good down below, if you catch my drift."<br>I smirked as Koenma and Kurama shuddered. I reentered the room to see Mai was sitting up on the bed, smiling.  
>"How can you be smiling after what happened today?"<br>"The doctor said the cut wasn't deep enough to prove fatal. Also, I saved the life of a friend today."  
>"You didn't have to, you know. I could've easily dealt with Sora."<br>She smiled at me again as I helped her off of the bed.  
>"I know, but I acted on an instinct, Hiei. I already lost someone once to a wacko, and I didn't want to see it happen again."<br>I looked away as I recalled seeing her father die in her memory. I can understand why she acted on her instinct now. After we got her home, Yukina was there to greet us.  
>"Just place her on the couch, Hiei. She shouldn't move around too much."<br>"Hn."  
>Mai looked at me weakly, and I smirked.<br>"I'll see about making you some tea."  
>She smiled at the idea, and I joined Kurama in the kitchen. As I heated the water, Kurama smiled.<br>"I saw you talking to Mai in the infirmary. How does it feel to be the first person she talked to since arriving here?"  
>"What's it to you, fox?"<br>"I can tell you looked slightly surprised when we showed up, and the only thing I can think of was that Mai talked to you."  
>"She trusted me, and that's why she talked to me. What's it to you whether she did or not?"<br>Kurama placed the tea bag into the hot water and shook his head.  
>"All I'm saying, Hiei, is that I've noticed the two of you getting quite close since you became friends with her."<br>"That may be, Kurama, but whether she has talked to me or not is not your business. She asked on the way here to not tell anyone of what we discussed in the infirmary, and I plan on holding to that agreement."  
>I gave the tea to Mai, who gratefully drank from the glass. I picked up her legs so I could sit down, and she responded by placing them on my lap. She smirked at me as she did so.<br>"I intend to relax on this couch, even if it means using you as a leg rest."  
>"Is that so?"<br>I took the cup of tea from her and she narrowed her eyes at me.  
>"Give it back."<br>"Why should I?"  
>"I said so, that's why."<br>"Give me one reason why I should, Mai."  
>"Remember what I did to Sora back at Koenma's office? I could repeat that with you if you don't hand it over."<br>"Fine, take it back."  
>She stuck her tongue out at me as she took back the tea. I smirked and shook my head as I walked away. Thinking of all that she did for me since she got here made me pleased to know I'm doing the right thing by trusting her.<br>_That's a wrap for part 4. Mai is injured at Koenma's office while protecting Hiei, and Hiei is relieved to see her wound isn't life-threatening. She is due to make a full recovery, much to the pleasure of the others. Part 5 will feature Mai having made a full recovery from her stomach wound. Also in part 5, Hiei decides to take Mai to the place of his birth, the land of the Ice Apparitions. Stay tuned to see what happens_


	5. Chapter 5

_Love for Hiei Part 5_

It only took a few short days to heal Mai's stomach wound, but a scar did remain. I'd never say this to anyone out loud, but I was worried about Mai when I took her into the infirmary. In the short time that she's been here, she has become a very close friend, someone I could talk about anything with and trust my secrets to. Currently, Mai was talking to Yukina about what happened before Ryoh abducted her. It didn't take long for Mai to start talking to everyone else, and they were all pleased at hearing her speak. Of course since I was the first person she talked to, Yusuke and Kuwabara gave me a hard time about it. Yukina smiled as Mai was finished talking about her old home.  
>"Wow, Mai. Seeing what happened to your father must've been hard for you."<br>"It was, but he died protecting me and my mother. He did what he thought was best for us."  
>"How long did it take to get over it?"<br>"A while. He and my mother are in a better place now. That's all that matters to me."  
>I smiled slightly and continued looking out the window from my place on the windowsill. It has only been a short while since Mai got here, but I felt like I was ready to show her where I originally came from. It took me a while to really think it over, but I wanted to show her the place of my birth, the floating Ice Domain.<br>"Yukina, give us a minute. I need to speak with Mai in private."  
>"Hm? Oh, of course. We'll talk more later, Mai."<br>"Sure."  
>I sat down beside her on the couch, taking in a deep breath before speaking.<br>"Mai, remember a few days ago when I mentioned where I came from?"  
>"I recall you saying something about that. Why are you asking?"<br>"I think I know you well enough now to take you there myself. I want you to see in person where I was born."  
>"Are you sure it won't be too much trouble? After all, a friend of your mother's threw you off. Won't it bring back old memories?"<br>I held the tear gem that was around my neck and shook my head.  
>"I've gotten over that a long time ago. Let's go."<br>Using my Jagan Eye, I was able to locate the Ice Domain easily. To make sure she stays warm, Mai put on a long-sleeved shirt and thick pants. 

_Mai's POV_:  
>After arriving at the Ice Domain, I looked around me. There was snow and ice everywhere, and small houses were in rows. There were some Koorimes, but they stayed clear of Hiei, obviously knowing who he was.<br>"Hiei, they're staring."  
>"They know of who I am. Last time I was here, I had found out that my mother had taken her own life."<br>My hands flew to my mouth as I looked at him horrified.  
>"Why did she do that?"<br>"She was in grief over not seeing me again. She just couldn't take it anymore, I guess."  
>I took his hand and gently squeezed it, expressing my condolences silently. He raised an eyebrow at me, but said nothing as we walked around. We later stopped in front of a small house that was a little ways away from the others. I let go of his hand as he closed his eyes.<br>"This is the house my mother lived in when Yukina and I were born."  
>"Wow. It looks like it hasn't been used since your mother died."<br>"Doubt it has been used."  
>After a while of walking some more, we came across a cluster of icicles that had a name written across from it.<br>"Hiei, this says 'Hina'. Was she...your mother?"  
>"Yes. This is her grave. She was buried right where we're standing."<br>I backed away slightly, as if I was nervous about standing on holy ground. Hiei smirked and we sat down on a tree stump.  
>"Any questions, Mai?"<br>"Just one."  
>I looked at Hiei closely, trying to figure out how to put what I want to say into words. As a result of my taking so long, Hiei raised an eyebrow at me.<br>"What?"  
>"Hiei, be honest. What kind of relationship do we have? I know we're friends and everything, but I feel like there's more of a connection than that."<br>He didn't speak for a while, so that led me to realize my question caught him offguard. He looked away, and I noticed there was a slight blush forming on his face. After the blush disappeared, he looked at me.  
>"Mai, I feel that there's a connection, too. I could tell when you helped Yukina that you'd be a person I could trust. I'm grateful we're friends, as well, but I agree with what you say when there's a connection there. Just do me a favor."<br>"What's that?"  
>Hiei narrowed his eyes as he stood up.<br>"Never tell anyone-"  
>"About the talk we had, I know. I'd rather these talks not get out, either."<br>"Good." 

_Hiei's POV_:  
>After we got back home, Mai went to her room to change out of her wet, cold clothes. I sat down on the couch and watched as Yusuke played a videogame with Kuwabara. I raised an eyebrow as Yusuke did a victory dance after winning against Kuwabara in a race.<br>"Oh, yeah! Urameshi prevails again!"  
>"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You got lucky that time, Urameshi. One more round, and the loser goes without dinner tonight."<br>"You're on."  
>I rolled my eyes and looked up as Mai sat next to me, dressed in a short-sleeved white blouse with a navy blue skirt. She smiled at me as she sat down.<br>_'Thanks again for showing me the Ice Domain today, Hiei. It pleases me to know you trust me enough to take me there.'__  
><em>_'Hn.'__  
><em>She giggled as she shook her head, looking toward the game Yusuke and Kuwabara were playing. I, too, looked back at the game, thinking of the day's events. I wasn't expecting to trust her this much considering I met her not too long ago, but I do. Our bond indeed felt strong, which may explain why Mai is usually near me. She once told me it feels odd not being around me, that she feels out of place whenever I wasn't in her presence. My thoughts abruptly ended when I felt Mai rest a hand on mine. She smiled as she looked at me, then looked back to the game. I decided to surprise her by gently grasping her hand and lacing our fingers together. She looked at me surprised and I smirked, seeing how my attempt to surprise her worked. I raised an eyebrow as I saw a slight blush form on her face, but I later smiled as I held her hand tighter. She smiled back, and I knew right away there was no chance in hell anyone or anything would take her away from me. Anyone that tried would be severely punished, with death or otherwise.  
><em>That's a wrap for part 5. After Mai's wound healed up, Hiei shows how much he trusts her by taking her to the place where he was born, the Ice Domain. Their bond is apparent by the fact Mai rests her hand on his, as well as Hiei holding her hand and lacing their fingers together. Part 6 will take place months later near Christmas, when Yukina, Botan, and Keiko assist Mai in looking for Christmas gifts. Also in part 6, Hiei experiences jealousy for the first time when Jin, the wind demon Yusuke fought with in the Dark Tournament, shows up for the Christmas party and gives Hiei the impression he's interested in Mai. Stay tuned to see what happens<em>


	6. Chapter 6

_Love for Hiei Part 6: Christmas Party Part 1_

Myself, Botan, Keiko, and Yukina were in the Human World finishing up our Christmas shopping. I had gotten gifts for everyone except for Hiei. My mind was drawing a blank since I couldn't figure out what to get for him. Botan saw the look on my face and smiled.  
>"No worries, Mai. I'm sure Hiei will like whatever you give him."<br>"I know, I know. I just can't seem to put my finger on what to get him. I've known him for several months now. You'd think I'd know right away what to get."  
>Yukina smiled and held the door open for us as we entered the mall.<br>"I'm sure my brother will be pleased you thought of getting anything at all."  
>As we looked around, I still couldn't find what to get him. Nothing at this gift shop seemed to call to me. Keiko showed me a racecar game Yusuke had wanted to get.<br>"He's been asking about this game for weeks. That puts an end to my shopping this year."  
>"Nice find, Keiko. I'm gonna look around the other stores. I'll meet you guys back at Koenma's."<br>"You sure, Mai? One of us can stick around, if you want."  
>"I'll stay."<br>I smiled as Yukina stepped forward. Botan smiled and summoned a portal.  
>"Keiko and I will help finish setting up for the Christmas party. We'll see you later."<br>"Thanks, Botan."  
>Yukina and I wandered around the mall in search of what to get for her brother. I came across a weapon store and smiled at Yukina.<br>"Hey, Yukina. You think Hiei might like a new weapon?"  
>"Possibly. I never really asked what he wanted, so I'm not all too sure. He says he can never have too many."<br>"That settles it, then. Let's go in."  
>The shopkeeper inside immediately took notice of us entering, mostly because he saw Yukina's uncommon appearance. I smiled as I recognized him from an earlier case with Team Urameshi. A demon was accused of coming here and trying to steal several weapons from this store, and Ryota was very grateful and said to me he owed me a favor.<br>"Mai, good to see you again. Who's this?"  
>"This is Yukina. She's the sister of a friend of mine. We're here trying to look for a weapon for him."<br>"Well, go ahead and take a look around. Let me know when you find something."  
>"Will do, Ryota."<br>Yukina took a look through the many daggers and smiled.  
>"Hiei would love these. What do you think, Mai?"<br>"I'm trying to find something that would not wear over time, something he can use in every battle.  
>"You mean something that can withstand anything?"<br>"Exactly."  
>"Anything you like yet?"<br>I smiled at Ryota and shook my head.  
>"Still having some trouble. I'm looking for a weapon that can withstand any powerful attack. He's pretty ruthless in battle, especially during our cases."<br>Ryota's eyes widened as he smirked, as if he knew who I was getting the weapon for.  
>"You must be looking for something for Hiei, am I right?"<br>"You got it."  
>"I think I have something in the back. Wait right here."<br>He quickly emerged from the back of the store with a medium-sized sword.  
>"This here is the Dragon Blade. This sword was forged from a dragon's rough hide, which helps it be impervious to many attacks. Feel it."<br>I gently passed my finger across the smooth part of the blade, smiling.  
>"It may not look like much, but it can withstand just about anything."<br>"Thanks, Ryota. How much do I owe you?"  
>"I owe you a favor, remember? How about I give you that sword no questions asked? I just need to have you sign a piece of paper here."<br>After signing for the sword, Yukina and I managed to make it back to Koenma's without Hiei seeing the sword.  
>"Yukina, I'm gonna go up to my room and wrap this. Just make sure Hiei doesn't come up, okay?"<br>"No problem." 

_Hiei's POV_:  
>As Mai hurried upstairs, I grew curious as to what she got for me. I told her I didn't need anything, but she insisted anyway.<br>"Hn. Just as stubborn as ever."  
>Kurama and Botan had decorated the living room up with all kinds of decorations. Yusuke and Kuwabara managed to find the perfect tree to decorate. All of this trouble for a holiday I found to be pointless, but who was I to criticize? Moments later, Mai came down the stairs, her gift for me not with her.<br>"Where's the gift, Mai?"  
>"I'm giving it to you after the party, Hiei. I know how you are about these things."<br>"Always thinking, huh?"  
>"Of course. Someone's gotta be the smart one around here. Might as well be me."<br>I smirked as she helped Yukina finish putting ornaments on the tree. The doorbell rang, and Yusuke went to answer it.  
>"Hey, pal, Long time, no see! Come on in!"<br>I craned my neck to see Jin walk in. Ever since Yusuke fought him in the Dark Tournament, they've gotten together once in a while. Apparently, he and the wind demon became good friends. Jin walked in and sat down at the kitchen counter.  
>"Great to be here, Yusuke. Hope you don't mind me stopping by."<br>"No problem at all. Hey, Mai! Come here real quick!"  
>"Sure thing, Yusuke!"<br>I kept a close eye on Mai as she approached Yusuke and Jin. Upon seeing her, Jin bowed.  
>"This must be the famous Mai. Yusuke has told me a lot about you."<br>"Nice to meet you, Jin. Welcome to our party. Would you like something to drink?"  
>"If you got any egg nog left, that'd be great."<br>"We got plenty. Follow me to the kitchen and I'll get you some."  
>As Jin followed her with a big smile on his face, I began feeling a little strange. Just seeing Jin smile at her like that made my blood boil for some reason. Kurama noticed me glaring in Jin's direction and smiled.<br>"Problem, Hiei?"  
>"What do you mean? Did I say something was wrong, fox?"<br>"You didn't, but your face did."  
>I quickly looked away from him and narrowed my eyes, feeling my anger grow.<br>"Hiei, you don't have to hide it."  
>"Hide what?"<br>"You're feeling jealous. Everyone does at some point in time."  
>"Hn. I don't get jealous."<br>"Have it your way, then."  
>After Kurama walked away, I caught a glimpse of what Jin and Mai were up to in the kitchen. The two of them appeared to be talking, which put me slightly at ease.<br>"Hn. Jealousy is a stupid human emotion. I don't get jealous."  
>I was about to get up and leave when I saw Jin whisper something in Mai's ear. A slight blush appeared on her face, and my anger returned. What could he possibly have said to get that kind of reaction from her? She whispered back, and he started laughing.<br>"Ah, Mai. You crack me up."  
>I abruptly entered the kitchen, causing Mai to jump.<br>"Hiei, you startled me. Everything okay?"  
>"Just need to talk with Jin for a minute."<br>"Okay. I'll go upstairs and finish wrapping your gift. We'll finish our talk later, Jin."  
>"No problem."<br>As soon as she was out of sight, I narrowed my eyes at Jin, who smiled in Mai's direction.  
>"She's a great gal, eh?"<br>"What do you mean by that?"  
>"Pretty, funny, smart."<br>"What did you whisper to her?"  
>Noticing the slight anger in my tone of voice, Jin backed away slightly.<br>"I asked if the rumor of what she did in Koenma's office was true."  
>"Elaborate."<br>"Kicking the guy where the sun don't shine. She kinda got embarrassed by it being brought up again, which explains why she blushed a bit. She then told me it was all true, and that's when I started laughing."  
>I heard Mai's footsteps approach the top of the staircase and I narrowed my eyes again at Jin.<br>"If you know what's good for you, wind demon, I suggest you watch what you say or do around Mai."  
>"What do you care if I talk to her or not?"<br>"Hn. Just don't get too close or you'll regret it."  
>Jin's eyes widened as I sat back down on the couch, apparently not expecting the threat. Soon, everyone was gathered around the tree, ready to open gifts. Mai had gotten Yusuke a new game console, she got Kuwabara a book on kitten care, and Kurama received a new cookbook. Botan, Keiko, and Yukina each got a locket with a picture of her inside it. Apparently she had an extra Christmas card, which she gave to Jin. Quickly forgetting what I told him, Jin gave her a big hug for her thoughtful gesture.<br>"You didn't have to, Mai."  
>"I always get cards for my friends."<br>"Aw, thanks."  
>Sensing my anger, Kurama pulled me aside and we headed for the kitchen.<br>"Hiei, this is getting ridiculous. There's no need to feel angry about Jin."  
>"How would you know? He was practically flirting with Mai when he got here. He's just playing innocent."<br>"Why do you care if he may be interested in her or not?"  
>His question stumped me. Why did I care? Mai's just a close friend of mine. I can't be interested in her; it's just unheard of.<br>"Hiei..."  
>"Fine, I admit it. I'm jealous. Happy now?"<br>"I overheard your little talk with Jin. I don't think the situation called for a threat against him."  
>"Don't push it, fox. I'm already annoyed enough as it is."<br>Kurama sighed and looked back to the party, observing Jin and Mai making paper snowflakes.  
>"Hiei, just look at them. If Mai was interested in Jin, she would've said or done something by now. If she was interested in anyone at all, I'm sure she would've told you first."<br>"How can I be sure if Jin is interested?"  
>"If you really want to know, just observe his behavior. He'll show he's interested by either putting an arm around her, always whispering to her, or possibly kissing her. Just don't act irrational if it proves to be true."<br>"Hn." 

_Mai's POV_:  
>I smiled as Jin showed me his finished paper snowflake.<br>"Wow, Jin. Not bad for your first try. That looks great."  
>"Thanks, Mai. I guess you could say I had a great teacher."<br>I felt him put an arm around my shoulders, and he smiled at me.  
>"You and me, Mai, I think we get along great."<br>"I think so, too. You remind me a lot of Yusuke."  
>"Oh, yeah. How so?"<br>"You always seem to be in a good mood, and you like to have fun. Yusuke has a similar personality."  
>He put his lips to my ear.<br>"What's Hiei's deal? He doesn't seem to like me."  
>I smiled as he pulled away from me.<br>"He's just a little protective of me, that's all. Not only did I help rescue Yukina, but I also saved his life at Koenma's office. He's just making sure nothing happens to me."  
>"He's telling me not to get too close."<br>"Why would he say something like that?"  
>A door slammed upstairs, and I saw Hiei was nowhere to be found. Jin sighed and looked at me.<br>"I think he thinks I'm interested in you...romantically."  
>"Are you interested?"<br>"Of course not. I just met you."  
>"Maybe I should go talk to him."<br>I shook my head as Kurama headed for the stairs.  
>"I'll talk to him, Kurama. I have a feeling his anger involves me."<br>"Hurry back. Food's almost ready."  
>"Okay."<br>I headed upstairs to Hiei's room, feeling slightly nervous. Before I could knock on the door, Hiei abruptly opened it.  
>"What do you want, Mai?"<br>"I just came up here to talk to you about Jin."  
>"I don't want to hear it, Mai."<br>"He just told me he's not interested in me like that. He just met me, for goodness sake."  
>"Love at first sight does exist, you know."<br>I sighed heavily as I shook my head.  
>"Just let me in, Hiei. Don't shut me out just because you're angry about something trivial."<br>"I'll come down when I'm good and ready. Get lost."  
>With that, he slammed the door in my face. I felt Kuwabara behind me as he was headed to his room to retrieve his Santa hat.<br>"I heard the door slam. Did he hit you?"  
>"No, Kuwabara. He and I just had an argument."<br>"What about?"  
>"I can't tell you. It's something between me and him."<br>"Kay. Well, Kurama says the food is ready."  
>I rejoined the party to see everyone was digging into the food. I sat on the windowsill as I ate, silent tears falling down my face. Jin joined me, looking worried.<br>"Everything okay?"  
>"I tried talking to Hiei, but he shut me out."<br>"If I know anything about the little fire demon, it's not to get him any more angry than he already is. Give him time, Mai. He'll come down eventually."  
>I put my plate down and wiped away the tear that fell, but more came. Jin put his own plate down and pulled me into a tight embrace. I held him back and let the tears fall.<br>"What am I going to do? Hiei's my best friend. I can't stand seeing him this mad, especially at me."  
>"Just let him cool off, Mai. He'll return to us when he's ready." <p>

_Hiei's POV_:  
>After a while in my room, I decided to apologize to Mai. I walked down the stairs and saw Jin hugging Mai. I tried to keep my anger under control, but something inside me snapped and little did everyone know that they were going to see all hell break lose.<br>_That's a wrap for part 6. After getting Hiei the perfect gift, Mai rejoins the Christmas party and meets Jin, a wind demon Yusuke fought with in a previous Dark Tournament. Hiei immediately assumes Jin is interested in her and becomes jealous. Part 7 will feature Hiei openly expressing his anger toward Jin. Also in part 7, Mai is finally fed up with Hiei's behavior and pulls him aside, demanding answers. Stay tuned to see what happens_


	7. Chapter 7

_Love for Hiei Part 7: Christmas Party Part 2_

What I saw didn't please me in the slightest. My anger continued to grow as I saw Jin embracing Mai. Why I felt so angry, I still was unsure about. Mai and I were indeed close friends, but that didn't explain why I didn't want anyone else touching her. I swiftly approached them, catching them both offguard. Jin jumped back and looked at me with wide eyes.  
>"Hiei?"<br>"Perhaps you didn't hear me. I said not to get too close."  
>"I was just comforting her because you upset her. There's nothing else to it."<br>"Stop it, Hiei. You don't know what you're doing."  
>I narrowed my eyes at Mai, slightly ticked off she wasn't backing me up.<br>"Mai, stay out of this."  
>"How can I when your actions involve me? As your friend, I'm asking you to leave Jin alone."<br>"Last time I'm warning you, Mai. I don't want you involved in this."  
>"When you started this silly game of jealousy, I got involved. Enough of this, Hiei! Back off!"<br>I glared at Jin, who narrowed his eyes back at me.  
>"You're the one starting all of this, not me. She doesn't want to witness a confrontation."<br>"I've heard enough out of you. Nothing is going to take her away from me. I could've lost her after she took that blow for me, I'm not about to let it happen again."  
>"Your anger is blinding you, Hiei."<br>I grabbed Jin by the collar, lifting him up off the ground. Mai quickly pulled Jin away while Kurama held me back. Mai looked to the crowd regretfully.  
>"Sorry, everyone. Party's being postponed. We'll resume as soon as we can."<br>Keiko, Botan, and Yukina were escorted upstairs by Yusuke and Kuwabara. Kurama stayed to hold me back.  
>"Hiei, this has to stop. Your anger may hurt someone. Let it go."<br>"Get off of me, Kurama. This doesn't concern you."  
>"When it concerns my friends and teammates, it does. If you do something now, you'll be locked up for who knows how long. I don't think Yukina wants to lose her brother when she just found him."<br>After taking a moment to calm down, I quickly got out of Kurama's grip and rushed to my room, locking the door behind me. 

_Mai's POV_:  
>After Hiei left the room, I tried to calm myself down. What Hiei did really threw me for a loop. He lost his cool, which surprised me because he's not the type to do that. Kurama sat me on the couch while handing me a hot cup of tea.<br>"Here, Mai."  
>"Thanks."<br>I took a couple of sips as Kurama gave Jin some tea.  
>"Thanks, Kurama."<br>"No problem. The least I could do after what you went through this evening."  
>Jin rolled his eyes and shook his head.<br>"He reacted the way he did because he saw me hugging Mai. All I was doing-"  
>"Hiei knows that, Jin. He just doesn't like the idea of you touching Mai."<br>"Kurama, that's still no excuse. Hiei could've really hurt someone."  
>Kurama sat beside me and shook his head, unsure of what to do.<br>"Very true. I don't think I ever saw him lose his cool like that other than when he found out Yukina was being held by Ryoh."  
>I looked to Jin, smiling apologetically.<br>"I'm sorry about all this Jin."  
>"It's fine, Mai, as long as you weren't hurt. Perhaps I should leave. Inform me of when the party will resume, and I'll show up."<br>"I'll inform you myself."  
>Thanking Kurama for his gesture, Jin left for home. Having finally calmed down, I stood up. Kurama put a hand on my shoulder before I could walk away.<br>"Are you sure you want to confront him now?"  
>"I want this resolved as soon as possible, Kurama. You know as well as I do the only people he listens to are the two of us. I'll be fine. I'll contact you telepathically if I need any assistance."<br>"Okay."  
>I headed upstairs to Hiei's room, eager to get answers from him. I knocked on the door, and I heard movement inside.<br>"I don't want to talk, Mai."  
>"Well, I do. Let me in, Hiei."<br>"Why should I?"  
>"We need to resolve this. I thought you could tell me anything. Aren't we friends?"<br>"I don't need to answer that. You already know we are."  
>I sighed heavily, seeing that this wasn't going anywhere.<br>"Hiei, just let me in. You don't have to talk or answer me, just listen."  
>I heard the door unlock and saw it open wide enough for me to step inside. He locked the door behind him and crossed his arms, glaring at me.<br>"Make this quick."  
>"Fine. What is going on with you, Hiei? You were just fine until Jin showed up tonight. Jin tells me you said for him to stay away from me and that you think he's romantically interested in me. True or false?"<br>When he looked away from me, I knew that everything was true. I sat down on his windowsill and he sat beside me.  
>"Hiei, you need to understand. I am, in no way, interested in Jin like that. I never will be." <p>

_Hiei's POV_:  
>When Mai said those words, I felt all of my anger disappear. Hearing what she said gave me a sense of hope, that maybe I still had a chance to win her over. I couldn't deny it anymore that I was in love with her, and I wanted to do something as soon as possible before someone else swept her off her feet. I felt her take my hand and my heart began beating faster as she smiled at me.<br>"You don't have anything to worry about, Hiei. I'm not going anywhere. Someone's gotta stay to keep an eye on you."  
>"Hn."<br>She smiled as she saw the small blush that appeared on my face. I held her hand tighter and looked at her closely.  
>"Mai, there's a reason why I acted the way I did."<br>"Oh? What's that?"  
>"You'd laugh at me if I told you."<br>"When have I ever laughed at you for telling me something, Hiei?"  
>I sighed heavily and shook my head. Before I could say anything, a knock was heard at the door. I could tell from the energy I was sensing that it was Kurama.<br>"What do you want, Kurama?"  
>"We've decided to resume the party, Hiei. Just thought I'd inform you and Mai."<br>"We'll be right down."  
>After Kurama walked away, we both headed for the door. Before Mai could open it, I pinned her to the wall near the door. Obviously caught offguard, Mai looked at me with wide eyes.<br>"Hiei, what are you doing?"  
>"There's something I need to tell you, and I want you to listen good."<br>"Okay."  
>"Mai, my feelings for you have changed since we became friends. I felt myself growing jealous if any other guy talked to you or even touched you. That's why I acted the way I did with Jin. I thought he was taking you away from me."<br>She looked away from me, taking it in. After a while, she looked back at me.  
>"Hiei, is this true? Do you really feel that way?"<br>"I'd be lying if I said no."  
>She smiled at me and embraced me tightly, and I embraced her back.<br>"Hiei, why didn't you just tell me when you began feeling this way?"  
>"I didn't want everyone thinking I've gone soft. I have a reputation to keep up, you know."<br>"I wouldn't have told anyone other than your sister and Kurama, you know that."  
>"Hn. Didn't want to take any chances."<br>She pulled back far enough to look me directly in the face, taking my face in her hands.  
>"Hiei Jaganshi, in no way will I ever leave you. I've become too attached to you to even think of leaving. You have my word that I will never leave, unless it's for good reason."<br>"That's all I needed to hear."  
>Before she could react, I tightened my hold on her and placed my lips on hers. Her hands remained on my face as she kissed me back. After a while, she placed her arms around my neck. When it came time to come up for air, we pulled apart, even though I was reluctant to do so. Mai smiled up at me and I felt myself smiling back. I couldn't begin to describe what I was feeling that moment. All I knew was that I had won her over, something I had wanted to do for a long time.<br>"Before I forget, Hiei, I still have to give you your Christmas gift."  
>"I thought you already did."<br>Mai smiled as another blush appeared on her face.  
>"Okay, then. You still have to receive your second gift. It's in my room."<br>"Ladies first."  
>She giggled as she escorted me to her room. Once inside, she handed me the gift without looking at me. I smirked at her embarrassment.<br>"Why do you not look at me when giving me the gift, Mai?"  
>"It took me a while to find you the perfect gift. I'm just not sure how you'll react to seeing it."<br>I opened the box to see a medium-sized sword and sheath. The blade felt really smooth and strong.  
>"What kind of blade is this? It feels very sturdy."<br>"Got it from a weaponry store in a mall in the Human World. It's called the Dragon Blade. The blade is made from a dragon's tough exterior, making it impervious to most attacks. This means it can withstand just about anything and last a really long time."  
>"And the handle?"<br>"Made of wood from a maple tree. Do you like it?"  
>I put the sword into its sheath and drew Mai to me closely.<br>"How can I not? You put a lot of thought into getting me something when you really didn't need to. I already have you, so what more could I want?"  
>"Hiei, that's so sweet."<br>"Hn. Don't get used to it."  
>She giggled at how I let me "emotionless attitude" resurface. I wasn't quite ready to tell the others about me and Mai, and I knew Mai wasn't ready either. I wanted to see what they thought of us being in a relationship before we announce it.<br>_That's a wrap for part 7. Hiei lets hell break lose as he expresses his jealousy openly during the Christmas party. After finally getting Hiei to talk to her, Mai learns why he acted the way he did toward Jin: he's in love with her and has been for quite some time. They begin their relationship shortly after they have their first kiss, agreeing to not tell anyone until they were ready. Part 8 will feature the conclusion to the Christmas party. Also in part 8, someone finds out about Hiei and Mai's new relationship. Who is it? Stay tuned to find out_


	8. Chapter 8

_Love for Hiei Part 8: Christmas Party Conclusion_

As Hiei and I walked downstairs, I couldn't think of anything but what happened in his room. It seems hard to believe I'd end up being in a relationship with my best friend, but it happened. We both agreed to keep it between ourselves until we were ready for others to find out about it. By the time we got downstairs, everyone was enjoying their gifts. Yukina smiled as she saw us.  
>"Everything okay?"<br>"Just fine, Yukina. Your brother and I managed to talk things over, and we're fine now."  
>"Oh, I'm glad to hear that. Christmas wouldn't have been the same without everyone together. Kurama made up some hot cocoa. Want some?"<br>"Sure. Hiei?"  
>"Hn."<br>I nodded to Yukina and she rushed to the kitchen. Hiei looked at her over his shoulder and smirked.  
>"I never said I wanted any, Mai."<br>"I can tell what you're saying even if you don't use the exact words. As your girlfriend, I have to pay attention to these things."  
>"Whatever. I'll be at the windowsill. Bring me my cocoa when it's done."<br>"As you wish, Your Highness."  
>Hiei smirked again as I playfully bowed to him.<br>"Flattery will get you nowhere, I'm afraid."  
>"Oh, well. Can't say I didn't try."<br>He rolled his eyes and sat down at the windowsill while I joined Yukina in the kitchen.  
>"Mai?"<br>"Yes, Yukina?"  
>"How did things go with my brother up there?"<br>"Everything's fine, really. Took a while to get him to let me into his room so we could talk, but I think I got through to him."  
>Yukina smiled as Hiei stopped Jin at the door, holding out a hand. They then shook hands as Jin said something to him. Hiei smirked and watched as Jin walked out the door, waving to me as he left.<br>"Will you look at that? Hiei actually apologized."  
>"Watch it, Kuwabara. I won't hesitate to attack you, you know."<br>"Yeah, yeah, yeah, Shorty, but you won't."  
>"Keep it up and I will."<br>I stepped between them and smiled.  
>"That's enough, you guys. Kuwabara, don't antagonize Hiei. You know what he can do to you."<br>"I guess."  
>"And you, Hiei. There's no need to threaten friends, especially on an occasion like this one. I don't want a repeat of what happened earlier."<br>"Hn, fine."  
>Yusuke and Kuwabara looked at Hiei with wide eyes as he went back to the windowsill and sat down. Yusuke then looked at me.<br>"How'd you do that, Mai?"  
>"Do what?"<br>"Get him to cool off. What did you say to him up there?"  
>Hiei briefly looked at me and narrowed his eyes as if to remind me to not say anything.<br>"I just told him there was no call for what he did and that I'd end our friendship if he didn't cool off. He seemed to be taking it seriously."  
>"Damn. You're good."<br>Kuwabara smiled in agreement.  
>"Yeah, no joke. Remind me not to get you angry. I don't think I'd survive it."<br>"Perhaps that would be for the best, anyhow. I could kick your butt and then some if I wanted to."  
>Kuwabara backed away from me and "hid" behind Yukina, who smiled up at him.<br>"She won't hurt you, Kazuma."  
>"Yeah, I know. She scares me sometimes."<br>Yukina giggled and went upstairs to get into her Christmas PJs, something each of the girls got from and Kuwabara entered the living room to test out Yusuke's new racecar game.I was filling up my mug with more hot cocoa when Kurama joined me.  
>"It was pretty quiet in Hiei's room? Did everything turn out okay?"<br>"It did. Took a while to get through to him, but I think everything turned out okay. He's calmer at least, and he apologized to Jin as he was leaving."  
>"Did he?"<br>"I assume he did since I saw them talking and shaking hands before Jin walked out the door."  
>Kurama looked to his friend, who was still sitting on the windowsill.<br>"I can tell he has become quite fond of you, Mai. He doesn't seem as cold and ruthless as he used to be."  
>"Are you saying I changed him?"<br>"I would say so. He was never like this when I met him. I think meeting you changed him into a different person. He is still cunning and ruthless in battle, but he isn't as nearly as cold as he used to be."  
>Before leaving, he put a hand on my shoulder and smiled.<br>"We're all glad to have met you, Mai.I mean that. Merry Christmas."  
>"Merry Christmas to you, too, Kurama." <p>

_Hiei's POV_:  
>After Kurama left the kitchen, I joined Mai. She smiled as she looked at me.<br>"I'm glad you and Jin managed to work things out."  
>"I told him what I did was uncalled for. He said it was okay and that I was just looking out for you."<br>"So, you guys are cool, then?"  
>"Yes."<br>She smiled and embraced me tightly.  
>"It means a lot that you worked things out with him. It kind of scared me when you grabbed him like that. I thought you were going to hurt him."<br>"I actually did think about it, but I held back when I saw the look on your face. I knew I'd regret it if I did hurt him."  
>Mai smiled up at me as she put her hands on my shoulders.<br>"Let's just enjoy the rest of our first Christmas together. No arguments, no fighting, just each other."  
>I smirked at her as I took her face in my hands.<br>"Of course."  
>"Uh, Hiei? Look up."<br>I looked up to see mistletoe in the doorway to the kitchen. I smirked at Mai, who by now had a blush on her face.  
>"I recall the fox saying it's a tradition to kiss if you're caught underneath mistletoe."<br>"And I'm not really one to break tradition."  
>She placed her lips on mine gently, and I immediately kissed her back. All that mattered was the angel in my arms and nothing else. I held her closer to me as she placed her hands on my face. <p>

_Yukina's POV_:  
>I had just gotten into my Christmas PJs that Keiko gave me and the other girls. The top was white with red trimming on the sleeves and hem. The pajama bottoms were like pants, but made of cotton. I was just about to enter the kitchen when I heard my brother and Mai talking.<br>"I recall the fox saying it's a tradition to kiss if you're caught underneath mistletoe."  
>"And I'm not really one to break tradition."<br>My eyes widened as I saw Mai kiss Hiei, and my shock grew as he wrapped his arms around her and began kissing her back. Mai pulled away from him after a while, and her eyes widened as she turned around and saw me standing behind them.  
>"Hiei?"<br>"Hn, what?"  
>"Your sister."<br>"What about her?"  
>"She's right behind you."<br>Hiei turned around and his own eyes widened, knowing what I'd witnessed. 

_Hiei's POV_:  
>My eyes widened as I saw Yukina standing behind me. Her face held a look of shock, and her eyes were wide open.<br>"Yukina, how much of that did you see?"  
>"I just got here, actually. I didn't want to interrupt, so that's why I didn't say anything."<br>Mai smiled at her as she took my hand.  
>"You did nothing wrong, Yukina. We respect the fact that you didn't interrupt, but Hiei and I aren't quite ready for everyone else to know about us yet. Think you can keep it to yourself?"<br>"Oh, of course. I had a feeling my brother wouldn't want it known right away, anyway. Yusuke and Kuwabara would give him a hard time if they knew."  
>"Hn."<br>I held Mai's hand tighter as I smirked at my sister.  
>"We don't want them knowing just yet because we want to know their opinions on us being in a relationship first. When we find out all of their thoughts on the subject, that's when we plan on revealing it to them."<br>"No problem, brother."  
>After Yukina went upstairs to turn in for the night, I walked Mai to her room. She changed into her Christmas PJs and looked at herself in the mirror.<br>"Keiko sure has a good taste. These look really nice."  
>"Hn. I agree with that."<br>I stood behind her and wrapped my arms around her, resting my head on her shoulder. I saw her reflection smile at me, and I smirked back.  
>"When do you think we should start sharing a room?"<br>"After we tell everyone about us, Hiei. If we do it now, they'll go off the wall. I want them to get used to the idea of us being together before we actually reveal it to them."  
>"Hn."<br>She turned around and smiled, and I was strangely taken aback by her smile. For some reason, this smile captivated me more than her other smiles. I picked her up and brought her to her bed, putting the covers over her. She smiled up at me as I placed a soft kiss on her forehead.  
>"This has been the best Christmas ever. Thank you, Hiei, for sharing it with me."<br>"I should be thanking you. Wouldn't have enjoyed it if you weren't with me, Mai."  
>She immediately fell asleep, and I quietly walked back to my own room. Yukina was just about to enter hers when she saw me.<br>"I'm happy you two found each other, Hiei. I don't think I ever saw you that happy."  
>"Hn. Just don't spread it around, Yukina. Not ready for the excitement yet."<br>"It's okay. If I were you, I'd say the same thing."  
>I smirked, bid her goodnight, then entered my own room and fell asleep, dreaming of the angel that claimed my once icy heart.<br>_That's a wrap for part 8. Hiei makes amends with Jin, and the Christmas party turns out to be a success. Yukina witnesses Hiei and Mai kissing under the mistletoe, but agrees to keep their relationship a secret, knowing they would want to reveal it themselves. Part 9 will be set several months later and features Hiei and Mai at a park in the Human World, enjoying a day off from training. Also in part 9, the rest of Team Urameshi is enjoying their day off, as well, and oddly enough end up at the same park as Hiei and Mai. They end up seeing the couple together. What will they have to say at finding out about their relationship? Stay tuned to find out_


	9. Chapter 9

_Love for Hiei Part 9_

It has been 5 months since Hiei and I decided to start a relationship. We've had our fair share of arguments, but manage to work things out. As far as everyone knows, we're still just friends. They seemed to like the idea of us being in a relationship based on their reactions to different questions regarding the subject. Since today was a day off, we decided to enjoy it at a park in the Human World near where Yusuke lived with his mother in the apartment building. Hiei was sitting up against a tree while I was sitting beside him, holding his hand.  
>"Isn't this nice? Too bad all days can't be like this."<br>"Hn. It's tolerable if you like crowded parks and loud, annoying people."  
>"C'mon, Hiei. Not everyone is a lunatic. This isn't Spirit World, you know."<br>"I prefer that to this, Mai. You know I don't like big crowds."  
>"You fight in front of them all the time during the Dark Tournament."<br>"That's different. I have to do that."  
>I smiled and shook my head as I watched children playing kickball nearby. One small boy kicked the ball so hard that it landed right by us. Hiei picked it up and looked at the boy, who shyly looked back at him.<br>"Excuse me, Mister. May I have my ball, please?"  
>"Hn, here."<br>Hiei threw it back, and the boy smiled and ran off. I smiled at Hiei and he looked back at me.  
>"What?"<br>"You could've not given the ball back, but you did. Proves that you're not as cold as you used to be."  
>"I haven't changed at all, Mai."<br>"On the outside, no. You're still just as cunning and ruthless in battles and missions as you always are."  
>He smirked as if to agree with me.<br>"That's something that will never change."  
>"On the inside, you're much more different than that. You're understanding, good to talk to, and you always know what to say or do to make me feel better?"<br>"I thought comforting during hard times was a requirement."  
>"I guess you can call it that."<br>After a while of watching people walk by, I opened up the basket that we brought with us. I packed earlier this morning full of rice, fish, and salad greens. I had asked his opinion on bringing a picnic lunch with us, and he didn't seem to mind.  
>"Here, Hiei. Thought you might be hungry."<br>"Hn, thanks."  
>"I cooked it myself."<br>Hiei smirked at me and raised an eyebrow.  
>"Totally by yourself, Mai?"<br>"Well, Kurama walked me through it, but I did cook it myself. I'm still learning a few things."  
>"I have to admit, you did a good job."<br>As we enjoyed our food, we talked of when would be the best time to tell the others about our relationship. We agreed on telling them when we all got back to Koenma's.  
><em><br>__Yusuke's POV_:  
>Since we had the day off, I decided to visit my old neighborhood. Mom was still the same. She was still sleeping in way late, but surprisingly cut back on her smoking and drinking. Apparently, Mai met her a few times and somehow set her straight. Kurama and Kuwabara opted to come along since they didn't want to be cooped up all day.<br>"This place brings back memories, eh Urameshi?"  
>"Definitely. Hey, check it out, Kuwabara. That's the park where I picked my first fight with you."<br>Kurama smiled as Kuwabara and I began pointing out places in and around the park that we used to pick fights in.  
>"Is there a place you didn't fight in, Yusuke?"<br>"Uh, let's see. The only places I can think of are my old house, Mom's apartment, and the beach. Fights happened pretty much everywhere else."  
>Kuwabara looked around and pointed to a nearby apple tree.<br>"Hey, guys. Look over there."  
>I rolled my eyes, whacking him in the back of the head.<br>"Why are you so excited about pointing to an apple tree, Kuwabara?"  
>"It's Hiei and Mai. Looks like they're having a picnic."<br>Kurama smiled as he looked at them.  
>"That would explain, Kuwabara, why Mai left with a picnic basket full of food I helped her prepare."<br>"Uh, right."  
>I looked more closely, and was shocked to see how close together they were sitting.<br>"How odd."  
>Kuwabara raised an eyebrow as he observed Mai laughing at something Hiei said.<br>"Yeah. Shorty never likes anyone being that close to him. Says they're invading his personal space."  
>"You must remember, Kuwabara, that they are friends."<br>"Still, he never let anyone get that close before."  
>Mai then said something back to Hiei, who smirked back at her. What surprised me most was when Hiei took her hand and kissed it.<br>"Hold on a sec. Did he just-"  
>"Looks like it, Urameshi."<br>Kurama seemed more shocked than anyone.  
>"I'm surprised we didn't see this coming."<br>"Man, Urameshi. It's been happening right under our noses."  
>"Yeah. Why didn't they tell us?"<br>My eyes widened as they packed up the basket and walked off, holding hands.  
>"I can't believe we didn't notice this."<br>"That's because, Yusuke, they may not have wanted to reveal it yet. They probably figured knowing how you and Kuwabara, you'd give Hiei a hard time since he's not the type of guy to express emotions in public."  
>"That makes sense, but they didn't have to keep it from us. I wouldn't have made fun of them."<br>"Which is what we wanted to be sure of."  
>We jumped as we heard Hiei's voice behind us. Kuwabara put a hand behind his head and laughed.<br>"Hey, Shorty. How long have you been standing there?"  
>"Long enough, fool. How long have you been watching us?"<br>"Long enough to see you were hiding a relationship from us."  
>Mai smirked and shook her head.<br>"Yusuke, we were planning on telling you when we all got back, but you ruined the surprise."  
>"You still could've said something."<br>Kurama smiled and put a hand on Mai's shoulder.  
>"Yusuke does have a point, Mai. We are all friends here. You didn't need to hide it from us."<br>"We weren't ready to say anything, fox. We wanted to hear your opinion on the subject, which is why we asked all of those questions." 

_Hiei's POV_:  
>After getting back home, Mai moved her belongings to my room. Yukina was pleased that Mai's living arrangements were closer to her room now. I could tell they have gotten to be really close friends.<br>"Hiei."  
>I approached Mai, who was sitting on the windowsill in our room. I sat across from her and raised an eyebrow.<br>"What is it?"  
>"Nothing. Just wanted you closer to me, that's all."<br>I smirked and pulled her closer to me so that she was sitting in between my legs. She rested her head on my chest and smiled. Anytime I was with Mai, nothing else seemed to matter to me. All I knew was that I loved the angel I was holding, something I knew would never, ever change. I kissed the top of her head and held her closer to me.  
>"Mai."<br>"What?"  
>"There's something I need to tell you. I just don't know how to put it."<br>"Say it however you want."  
>I sighed heavily and put my lips to her ear, intending on whispering what I wanted to say.<br>"Mai, I love you."  
><em>That's a wrap for part 9. The rest of Team Urameshi discover Hiei and Mai's relationship and to the couple's relief, they all approve. After getting settled into Hiei's room, Mai hears Hiei whisper that he loves her. Her reaction will be in part 10. Also in part 10, Yukina asks Hiei for permission to ask Kuwabara out. Stay tuned to see what happens<em>


	10. Chapter 10

_Love for Hiei Part 10_

For a while, Mai said nothing. Many people worry if no one replies right away after a confession like this, but I saw no need to worry. I knew she was taking it all in. She turned around to face me, and I was pleased to see she was smiling.  
>"Hiei, do you really mean it? You know, people will think you're going soft if they hear you make a confession like this one."<br>"Let them. I'll just have to teach them a lesson if they try crossing me."  
>"Not completely giving up your persona, I see."<br>"Have to give them something to fear, especially when you're concerned. Anyone tries to do anything with you when I'm around, and they'll have to deal with me personally. You know how I am when I'm angry."  
>She smirked and nodded in agreement, knowing full well how I am when I'm angry. After standing up, Mai looked me in the eye.<br>"Hiei, you mean more to me than you realize. Ever since we became friends, I knew that I found the right person to trust and tell my secrets to. Now that we're in a relationship, that belief is further confirmed. I love you so much."  
>I smiled a small smile and embraced her tightly. Hearing that she felt the same way pleased me more than anything ever could. She held me back just as tight, as if not wanting to let me go.<br>"Mai."  
>"What is it?"<br>I pulled back so I could get a better look at her angelic face. I took her face in my hands and smirked.  
>"I suggest we get away for a while."<br>"Like a vacation?"  
>"Exactly. We haven't had much time to ourselves in a while."<br>"Any idea where we should go?"  
>"I have one idea in mind. Here."<br>I handed her a piece of paper that I recently printed out. She smiled as she read it.  
>"Mr. Jaganshi, your reservation for two has been confirmed for one cabin aboard the Princess Cruise vessel, the Golden Princess. Your cabin will be on the Lido Deck as you and your guest sail across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii on an incredible journey. Hiei, this is wonderful, but how will we get on board? There are no ports near here."<br>"Taken care of. Koenma's allowing us the use of a portal to take us to a place called Los Angeles, California."  
>"You mean in America? Wow. You've thought of everything, haven't you?"<br>I smirked as I headed for the door.  
>"I already packed. We leave tomorrow afternoon, so that gives you plenty of time to gather what you need."<br>"Okay."  
>After shutting our door, I headed downstairs to sit on the windowsill. I was surprised to see Yukina was waiting for me.<br>"How'd you know I'd be sitting here?"  
>"Just a feeling. I needed to talk with you about something. Are you busy?"<br>"Not at the moment."  
>I sat across from my sister, eyeing her closely as I saw her grow tense.<br>"Hiei, I wanted to talk with you about Kazuma."  
>"What about the idiot?"<br>"Hiei, don't be like that. You know as well as I do Kazuma has earned his place on the team."  
>I rolled my eyes and looked at her with my eyes narrowed.<br>"Fine. What about...Kuwabara do you want to talk with me about?"  
>"Well, I wanted to see how you felt about the idea of me...asking him out on a date."<br>"You mean to tell me you're interested in him?"  
>"I am, and very much so. He has such a funny personality, and he always makes me smile and laugh if I feel sad or depressed. He has done so much for me over the years, Hiei."<br>I sighed heavily as I thought over what she was telling me. I never was fond of the idea of Kuwabara being interested in my sister, but finding out Yukina likes him just as much really surprised me. Of course, there's no way I'd tell her that.  
>"If he ever tries anything with you-"<br>"Kazuma would never do anything like that, brother. You know what kind of a person he is."  
>"Fine, go ask him out. If he makes you happy, then fine."<br>"Oh, thank you, brother."  
>After I smirked at her, she hurried off to find Kuwabara. Today has been full of surprises. Earlier today, Mai and the others surprised me and Yukina with a birthday celebration, then I surprised her with a cruise. Now, my sister tells me she is interested in Kuwabara, something he'll flip out over considering how long he kept showing how much he loved her. Over the next 10 days, Mai and I will not be surrounded by the chaos we've grown so used to. It'll be just the two of us enjoying a much needed vacation.<br>_That's a wrap for part 10. Hiei tells Mai he loves her, and he's pleased to hear her reciprocate. As an added bonus, he surprises Mai with a paper confirming a reservation for a cruise. While Mai packs, Yukina tells her brother her wishes to ask Kuwabara out on a date. Part 11 will begin in Mai's POV as they board their cruise ship and check into their cabin. Also in part 11, Kuwabara gets his long-awaited wish as his beloved Yukina finally reciprocates his feelings. Stay tuned to see what happens_


	11. Chapter 11

_Love for Hiei Part 11_

By 3 in the afternoon the following day, we had used a portal to arrive at a port in Los Angeles, California to board our cruise ship. We successfully went through security and check-in, then began boarding the ship. She looked really pretty closeup. I thought so, at least. Hiei just wanted to "get the vacation started already". He got several looks from the people as we boarded the ship, but he pretended he didn't notice.  
>"These humans have a serious staring problem."<br>"Just ignore them, Hiei. They're not used to seeing someone with crimson eyes."  
>"Hn."<br>I smiled and shook my head as we headed for our cabin. It was on the Lido Deck, and it has its own private balcony, something even Hiei was impressed with. When we got to our cabin, our luggage was by the door. I opened the door with my key and smiled at what I saw. It had a queen-sized bed, good-sized closet, a TV, and a spacious bathroom with a shower. Just beyond the bed was the door to our private balcony.  
>"Wow. What a view."<br>"Hn. It's suitable."  
>"Hiei, can't you at least pretend to enjoy this vacation?"<br>"We could've gone anywhere, Mai. All I really care about is that you're with me."  
>I smiled as I embraced him.<br>"Hiei, that's so nice of you. I never would've guessed you were one to say stuff like this."  
>He smirked as he took my face in his hands.<br>"That's the thing about me, Mai. I've always got a few surprises up my sleeve."  
>"Oh, really? Besides this vacation, what other surprises do you have for me?"<br>"You'll see later."  
>I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his cheek, and I giggled as I saw a slight blush appear on his face.<br>"Aw, poor Hiei. Been with me several months, yet blushes whenever I give him affection."  
>Hiei smirked at me and swiftly pinned me to the wall.<br>"Better watch what you say, Mai. I just might have to punish you for making fun of me."  
>"You don't scare me."<br>He smirked again before gently placing his lips on mine. Still making sure I was pinned to the wall, he tightly wrapped his arms around me. He ended the kiss after a few seconds, but it felt like it lasted longer than that. I smiled and placed my luggage on one side of the bed, making sure to place my room key in my pocket.  
>"Well, let's go look around."<br>"Hn, might as well since we're checked in."  
>Hiei then surprised me by taking my hand, a gesture I smiled at. He smiled a small smile back at me, and we headed out the door to enjoy our first night at sea. <p>

_Yukina's POV_:  
>I sighed heavily as I approached Keiko, who was on the living room couch sipping lemonade that Kurama had prepared.<br>"Um, Keiko. Can I ask you something?"  
>"Oh, sure. Come sit down."<br>I sat beside her and smiled a small smile.  
>"Now, Yukina. What's the trouble?"<br>"I'm planning on...telling Kazuma how I feel, but I don't know how to say it. I've never done anything like this before."  
>"Well, I'd talk with him in private about it. You'll never get a real chance if there are too many interruptions or distractions."<br>"Okay, got it. Anything else?"  
>"Just be calm and relax, Yukina. We all know how Kuwabara feels about you, and I feel you telling him this will make him go through the roof. He's been waiting for this a long time."<br>Her words put me much at ease, and I stood up from the couch smiling. I accidentally bumped into Yusuke on the way up the stairs.  
>"Sorry, Yusuke. I'm just trying to find Kazuma."<br>"He's in his room. I think he's talking with his sister on his communicator."  
>"Okay, thank you."<br>I hurried up to Kazuma's room and knocked on the door.  
>"Quit bothering me, Urameshi. We'll train when I'm good and ready."<br>I giggled and knocked again.  
>"Kazuma, it's Yukina."<br>"Huh? Oh, sorry, my love. Hang on."  
>He opened the door and I walked in. Once the door was shut, I closely looked at him.<br>"Uh, Yukina. What's up? You look a little nervous."  
>"I am, Kazuma. I have something to tell you."<br>"Oh. What is it?"  
>I sat down on his bed and he sat beside me.<br>"I already talked about this with my brother before he and Mai left on their vacation. I wanted to ask you...if you felt like going out with me."  
>"You mean...like a date?"<br>"Yes. I've liked you for a while now, and I wanted to show how much I liked you by asking you out."  
>Kazuma's face lit up with a big smile, and I giggled as he punched a fist into the air.<br>"Alright! My Yukina finally likes me!"  
>"Kazuma, any place you'd like to go?"<br>"Uh, I don't know. Never thought you'd ask me to go out on a date. I'm just satisfied going on a picnic in the park."  
>"Kazuma, that's perfect."<br>I smiled as I looked at the happiness that showed on Kazuma's face. I'm just pleased with the fact my brother said I could ask him out, on the condition Kazuma never hurt me in any way. I can honestly say he's the happiest one out of the both of us, and I hoped we lasted a long time.  
><em>That's a wrap for part 11. Hiei and Mai begin their vacation aboard their cruise ship, and Hiei surprises her with a deep kiss upon their arrival to their cabin. Meanwhile, Yukina asks Kuwabara out on a date, much to his delight. Part 12 will feature Mai and Hiei relaxing in their cabin as the Golden Princess arrives in Hawaii after 4 days at sea. Also in part 12, Yukina and Kuwabara enjoy their first date by having a picnic in the same park in the Human World where Team Urameshi discovered Mai and Hiei's relationship. Stay tuned to see what happens<em>


	12. Chapter 12

_Love for Hiei Part 12_

As Mai and I relaxed in our cabin, I got to thinking of how our vacation was going so far. These four days spent at sea were relaxing, to say the least, and we always managed to find something to do on the ship. Mai sang at a karaoke bar, we saw some production shows, and we dined in one of their specialty restaurants. Mai managed to get a couple of souvenirs from one of the gift shops, and I decided to surprise her with a gift I got from the jewelry store. I turned to my left and smirked as Mai let out a yawn.  
>"About time you woke up, Mai."<br>"There was so much excitement these last few days that I didn't sleep until real late."  
>"I noticed. I had to practically carry you back here."<br>Mai stuck her tongue out at me as I smirked at her.  
>"You didn't seem to mind, you know. You could've been mean and dropped me."<br>"I'm not that evil."  
>I decided to mess with her head by lightly shoving her off the bed. After landing on the floor, Mai looked up at me with her eyes narrowed.<br>"Not that evil, huh?"  
>"I never said I was totally innocent, either."<br>She then smiled and went out to the balcony to sit down and admire the view of the Pacific Ocean. I used this time to open my luggage and get out a small box that I bought from the jewelry store. I smirked as I pictured how this little surprise of mine would play out. I put a hand on her shoulder and she turned to face me. She smiled as I brushed hair out of her face.  
>"It's a lovely view from here. It's nice we get to enjoy it from the privacy of our own cabin."<br>"What I'm looking at makes this pale in comparison."  
>"Hiei, that's so nice of you to say. I love it when you surprise me like that."<br>"You'll like this one, then."  
>"What do you mean?"<br>Her smile disappeared as I got down on one knee, and I saw tears begin to form in her eyes. I took the ring out of the box and held it in one hand while holding her hand in the other.  
>"Hiei?"<br>"Mai, these last few months with you have been...I won't lie, some of the best moments of my life. What you've done for me and my sister showed me what a kind-hearted person you are. Before I knew it, I found myself wanting your attention...and your heart. When you gave it to me, I slowly felt my cold demeanor begin to fade. Granted it's still there but because of you, I'm not as cold as I used to be. I knew soon after we got together that I wanted you to become a permanent part of my life. Mai, will you marry me?"  
>Mai's eyes widened as I showed her the ring, a simple gold ring with a single diamond on top. She later smiled and wiped away her tears.<br>"Oh Hiei, of course I will."  
>After putting the ring on her finger, I embraced her tightly. Knowing that she said 'yes' made the moment even better. I heard Mai begin to cry softly and I gently stroked her hair.<br>"What's wrong, Mai?"  
>"I never expected this to happen during our vacation."<br>"You liked the surprise?"  
>"Of course I did. This is one of the happiest days of my life."<br>After letting her go, I wiped away the tears from her eyes and smirked as I looked out to the balcony.  
>"Want another surprise? Look out there."<br>We went onto the balcony and I pointed out to an island coming into view. Mai screamed excitedly and grabbed the balcony rail.  
>"It's the island of Hawaii. We finally made it!"<br>"I paid for two excursions for our vacation. Today we enjoy the island of Hawaii, and the other is an interactive excursion in Oahu."  
>"What is it?"<br>"Once we reach Oahu, a vessel will take us to a water-themed park in Honolulu. We'll be shown a video on dolphins, then we'll get to swim with them."  
>"Really?"<br>I smirked and she embraced me tightly.  
>"What are we supposed to get to Oahu?"<br>"In a few more days."  
>"I can't wait."<br>Right before we exited the cabin, Mai turned to face me.  
>"Hiei, you just made this vacation even more special. I love it when you surprise me."<br>"In that case, here's another one before we check out Hawaii."  
>I pinned her against the wall and kissed her deeply while tightly wrapping my arms around her. She responded by wrapping her arms around my neck, deepening the kiss even more. After parting, we exited the cabin to enjoy the first island on our vacation: Hawaii. <p>

_Yukina's POV_:  
>Kazuma and I decided to have a picnic in the park as our first date. Oddly enough, this was the same park where the others found out about Mai and my brother. Kazuma had made chicken salad sandwiches for us to eat, and I brought along baked potato chips. I took a bite out of my sandwich and smiled.<br>"You did a good job, Kazuma. This sandwich is delicious."  
>"Glad you think so, my love. Surprised that I know a thing or two about food?"<br>"I am, very much so. It's a good quality to have, no matter what gender you are. A good cook is always admired."  
>Pleased with my response, Kazuma began eating his own food. As we ate, I realized I had a question to ask him.<br>"Kazuma, I almost forgot I wanted to ask you something."  
>"Yeah? What is it?"<br>"How is Shizuru doing? We haven't seen her in a while."  
>"Oh. Well, she's in a rehab clinic. She's trying to quit smoking now."<br>"Good to hear. How has she been doing there."  
>"A lot better now. They say she should be free to go in a few weeks."<br>I smiled at the thought of Shizuru's health getting back to normal. As Kazuma and I finished our food, I found myself thinking back to when I first met Team Urameshi. I admit I felt a connection to Kazuma when I first met him, but I didn't realize at the time that we would get to be as close as we are now. I got to thinking fate wanted us to meet, that fate wanted us to get together one day. Now that it happened, I know that fate definitely played a part in me getting the courage to ask Kazuma out. All that was left to do now was to see how long we last, and I planned on enjoying every minute spent with him.  
><em>That's a wrap for part 12. Hiei and Mai are just about to arrive in Hawaii when he surprises to her by proposing. As Hiei hoped ,Mai accepted. Meanwhile, Yukina and Kuwabara enjoy their first date by having a picnic lunch at the same park where Hiei and Mia's relationship was discovered. Part 13 will feature the Golden Princess arriving at the island of Oahu, as well as Mai and Hiei's dolphin-themed shore excursion. Also in part 13, Shizuru makes a surprise visit to Koenma's mansion, having completed her rehabilitation early. Stay tuned to see what happens<em>


	13. Chapter 13

_Love for Hiei Part 13_

I smiled as Shizuru and I got closer to Koenma's. She had contacted me through a communicator telling me that she was released early from rehab and wanted to surprise Kazuma. She looked at me with a smirk on her face.  
>"My little brother has no idea at all that I'm coming?"<br>"None at all. Kazuma did see me on the communicator, but I told him I was talking with my brother."  
>"You mentioned to me that he was on a vacation."<br>"He is, Shizuru. He surprised Mai with a 10-day cruise to Hawaii."  
>"Never pictured Hiei as the romantic type."<br>I had to agree with that. I never pictured my brother as being the romantic, surprising type at all, either. I can tell his relationship with Mai truly has changed him for the better. When we got home, Shizuru smirked as she saw Kazuma dancing excitedly over beating Yusuke in a videogame.  
>"He'll never change. Even when he gets gray hair, he'll still go crazy over winning a videogame."<br>"Kazuma always manages to find something to get excited about. Just wait until he sees you're home early, Shizuru."  
>I told her to quietly follow behind me as I entered the living room. I had Shizuru cover Kazuma's eyes, and he jumped slightly.I giggled and whispered in his ear.<br>"Guess who?"  
>"Uh,Y ukina?"<br>"Not even close, baby brother."  
>In the blink of an eye, Kazuma turned around, eyes widened at seeing his sister before him. Yusuke smiled as he looked at Shizuru.<br>"Long time, no see. What are you doing here?"  
>Shizuru smirked and nodded to me.<br>"I contacted Yukina through her communicator to say I'm being released early from rehab and that I wanted her help in surprising Kuwabara. We've had this planned for a few weeks now."  
>I smiled as Kazuma approached me.<br>"When you saw me shut off my communicator, Kazuma, I actually was talking to your sister, but didn't want to spoil the surprise and said I was talking to Hiei."  
>"You...you two planned this whole thing?"<br>"We did. I overheard you talking to the other guys about Shizuru being in rehab. I contacted her on the communicator and let her know to contact me when she was coming home so that we could surprise you."  
>With small tears in his eyes, Kazuma embraced me tightly. I could tell that he was pleased to see his sister out of rehab early, but even more surprised to know I helped bring her home.<br>"Thanks, Yukina. It really means a lot that you'd go through all of this trouble for me."  
>"I did it because I cared about you, Kazuma. I wanted you to be happy."<br>As Kazuma and Shizuru reconnected, Kurama approached me with a smile on his face.  
>"I don't recall ever seeing him that excited. Seeing Shizuru home again really did the trick. Well done, Yukina."<br>"Like I said, I just wanted him to be happy."  
>"Speaking of happiness, I wonder how Hiei and Mai are doing on their vacation? Do you think they're enjoying themselves?"<br>"I know they are. Last time I talked to my brother, he said their ship was heading for the island of Oahu."  
>Kurama smiled as he handed me a cup of hot tea.<br>"Mai really has brought out the best in your brother. I don't think I ever saw him that protective with anyone besides you."  
>"I can tell they'll be together for a long time, Kurama. I really can." <p>

_Hiei's POV_:  
>Mai and I had everything we needed for our shore excursion here in Oahu. We had swimsuits, towels, and an extra shirt to wear over out swimsuits. On the minivan trip to the water park, we were given a narrated tour of the region and many of the island's highlights. Mai looked around excitedly as we got closer to the water park.<br>"I can't wait to swim with the dolphins, Hiei. This was the part of the trip I've been waiting for."  
>"Hn. I admit I've been curious about this, too."<br>"Can't you at least look like you're enjoying the trip?"  
>"I have been. The destinations didn't matter to me. I just cared about the fact that you're sharing this with me."<br>I smirked as a small blush appeared on her face. After the minivan stopped, one of the park's staff members escorted us through some back doors that led to where the dolphin pools were. She smiled as she looked at the group.  
>"Welcome, folks. You'll be able to swim with the dolphins shortly. Before you do, you must change into your swimsuits and put another shirt on top of it. Also, don't put on any sunscreen as it can irritate the dolphins' skin. Please use the changing stalls in the restrooms to put on your swimsuits and meet me back out here so I can escort you to the dolphin pools."<br>I tried peeking into Mai's bag to look at her swimsuit, but she narrowed her eyes and adjusted the bag so I couldn't see inside. I narrowed my eyes back at her, annoyed.  
>"Why can't I see inside?"<br>"You'll see the swimsuit when it's on me, Hiei, and not a moment sooner."  
>I rolled my eyes as she entered the girls' restroom. I quickly changed into my black swim trunks and put my belongings into a locker outside of the restrooms. Moments later, Mai came out in her new swimsuit, and my eyes slightly widened at the sight. It was a black one-piece swimsuit that hugged her figure perfectly. On the front part was a red rose that was right above her stomach. I smirked as I put an arm around her, liking what I saw. She smiled back at me and we both put on our extra shirts.<br>"Like what you saw, Hiei?"  
>"Hn, it was okay."<br>She playfully stuck her tongue out at me and I smirked at her attitude. Once everyone was outdoors, the employee smiled and began leading the way to the dolphin pools.  
>"Okay, folks. Here we are at the dolphin pools. You'll have 30 minutes to swim and play with the dolphins. I'll let you all know over the loudspeaker when the excursion is over. Have a good time." <p>

_Mai's POV_:  
>Hiei and I, along with another couple, entered one of the pools, where two dolphins swam up to us eagerly. The trainer that was there, Michael, smiled as the four of us.<br>"Hello, folks. Let me introduce you to the dolphins before you begin interacting with them. The dolphin with the small scar on its tail is named Bella, and the dolphin beside her is her mate, Luca. Bella is the most playful of our dolphins, so you four were fortunate enough to have entered their pool. I'll be sitting in the water on these stairs in case you all need anything. Go ahead and enjoy yourselves."  
>I began swimming around, coaxing the dolphins to approach. Luca eagerly swam beside me and showed his fin to me, as if telling me to grab onto it. I grabbed hold of it and he began clicking excitedly as he swam around the pool. Seemingly impressed, Michael smiled at Luca's behavior.<br>"Impressive. Luca doesn't usually approach strangers that quickly. He's usually standoffish, not getting too close to anyone or straying too far from Bella."  
>Hiei smirked as he looked at me.<br>"Mai has always been very approachable. My guess is that Luca can sense she was not afraid or nervous, and he fed off of that."  
>Luca stopped swimming around, so I took that as a hint to let go. He playfully nudged his head against my arm, and I stroked the top of his head gently.<br>"Thanks for the ride, Luca."  
>Not nervous anymore, Luca swam up to the other couple, who were waiting their turn to play with him since they were finished playing with Bella. Bella swam up to Hiei, who raised an eyebrow at her as she nudged his hand. I smiled and took Hiei's hand, placing it on top of Bella's head.<br>"She wants you to pet her, Hiei."  
>"Hn. Why?"<br>"You heard Michael. She's the most playful of the dolphins here. Just be calm and enjoy yourself."  
>He looked down at Bella, who had exposed her belly to him. Michael smiled and nodded to Hiei.<br>"When Bella does that, she wants you to rub her belly. She's always liked that. Go ahead."  
>Hiei smirked as he gently stroked Bella's belly. She clicked excitedly, and I smiled.<br>"See, Hiei?"  
>"I guess you're right. I am enjoying this."<br>"Attention, guests! The dolphin portion of your shore excursion is now over! Please change back into your clothes as soon as you get pictures with the dolphins you played with. The trainer at your pool will give you a camera so you can take pictures. Once you are finished, a security guard will escort you to the minivan that brought you here from your ship so you can make the trip back to the docks. Thank you for choosing Princess Cruise Line for your shore excursion experience!"  
>After getting pictures of Luca and Bella and getting changed into our clothes, we boarded the minivan for the trip back to our ship. I leaned against Hiei's shoulder, content with how our shore excursion went.<br>"I'm glad you reserved this excursion, Hiei. I had a great time."  
>I smiled as I felt his lips gently brush against my forehead.<br>"I did, too."  
>"I don't know about you, Hiei, but I'm getting hungry. How about we shower up when we get back to our cabin and get dressed for dinner?"<br>"Sounds good to me, I guess. Sabatini's?"  
>"Sure."<br>_That's a wrap for part 13. Shizuru, with help from Yukina, surprised Kuwabara with an early homecoming, having successfully completed her rehab. Meanwhile, Mai and Hiei arrive at their shore excursion in Oahu and enjoy swimming with the dolphins. Part 14 will feature Mai and Hiei arriving back at the ship and having dinner in the Golden Princess' Italian restaurant, Sabatini's. Also in part 14, Yusuke has a surprise announcement to make. Stay tuned to see what happens_


	14. Chapter 14

_Love for Hiei Part 14_

As I showered, I smiled at how much I was enjoying this vacation. Hiei didn't have to go through all this trouble, but he did it anyway. I guess Kurama was right in saying I changed him for the better, and how we feel about each other is proof of that. After stepping out of the shower and drying off, I slipped into a strapless red dress that fell to just above my ankles. I dried my hair with the hair dryer provided and decided to put curls into the remaining 4 inches of my hair, and I was pleased with how well it turned out. I heard a light knock at the door, then Hiei's voice followed.  
>"I'm ready, Mai. Hurry up."<br>I giggled and put on black 1-inch heels that I had gotten from one of the shops on board.  
>"Almost ready, Hiei. We still have a couple of days left on this vacation, so there's no need to rush."<br>"Hn."  
>I decided not to apply makeup because last time I did, Hiei said I looked a lot better without it, that I didn't need it since I had natural beauty. I exited the bathroom to see Hiei had put on a nice black shirt and pants to match. His eyes widened as he looked at my appearance, which is understandable since the dress was new. I wrapped my arms around my fiance and smiled.<br>"This isn't too much, is it? I could always pick something else to wear."  
>He smirked and wrapped his arms around me tightly, closely looking at me.<br>"Mai no matter what you wear, you'll still be the beautiful angel I fell in love with."  
>"Hiei, do you really mean that?"<br>After he nodded, he lightly placed a kiss on my forehead, then held out an arm for me to take. I took it and we used the lift to get to the deck where Sabatini's was. Upon entering, a waitress greeted us and showed us to a table that was near a window, giving us an ocean view while we had dinner.  
>"Hiei, look at this view."<br>"I am."  
>Realizing he was looking at me, I blushed slightly and lightly touched the engagement ring Hiei gave me. He saw what I was doing and took my left hand, smiling at me.<br>"The ring looks great on you, Mai."  
>"I would've liked it whether or not it was covered in jewels, Hiei. What matters is the thought you put into finding one for me. I'll like anything you get for me."<br>"Is that a fact?"  
>After I nodded, a waiter gave us menus and smiled.<br>"Here are some menus for you. Feel free to look through them. I'll be back shortly." 

_Hiei's POV_:  
>After the waiter left, I reached into my pant pocket and pulled out a small box. Mai looked at it curiously and I smirked.<br>"I know I already proposed and gave you a ring, but I wanted to give you something else. Open it."  
>Mai opened the box and her eyes widened as she saw the necklace inside. It was a 14k gold necklace that had a charm that looked like the symbol for "infinity". Mai looked up at me, smiling slightly.<br>"Hiei, this looks like it was custom made. I don't think the jewelry stores on board carry these."  
>"They don't. When I bought the ring, I also put in an order for a necklace at the same store. They said the design would take a while to make, but they had no problem with doing it."<br>"Hiei, that's so sweet of you, but what's the infinity symbol for?"  
>I took the necklace from Mai and put it around her neck, smirking as she slightly shuddered from the cool touch of the jewelry.<br>"It means that no matter what happens, I'm never, ever leaving you."  
>"Hiei, really?"<br>I sat down at my place at the table as the waiter came back.  
>"Are we ready to order?"<br>Mai nodded and reopened her menu.  
>"Yes, we are. I'll take the four cheese ravioli with grilled chicken."<br>"Excellent choice. What kind of salad would you like to go with it?"  
>"Caesar, please."<br>"What would you like to drink?"  
>"Hmm. I 'll try the white zinfadel."<br>After the waiter wrote down Mai's order, he looked at me.  
>"I'll take the lasagna with a side of garlic bread."<br>"What would you like to drink with that, sir?"  
>"I'll also have a glass of the white zinfadel."<br>After the waiter walked away, I looked at Mai. She really did look beautiful, no matter what she wore, but sometimes she never agreed with me. She saw me staring and blushed.  
>"Something wrong, Hiei?"<br>"No, Mai. Just admiring the view."  
>She smiled and looked out the window, smiling at the view outside.<br>"Hiei, look. The sun's setting."  
>"Hn. It does look nice."<br>As our food and wine came to the table, I looked at the ring that rested on her left ring finger.  
>"Mai, how will be telling the others about our engagement?"<br>After taking a bite of her salad, Mai smiled.  
>"I've been thinking of that, too. I think we should just let them see the ring on their own. They'll figure it out."<br>"Good idea. More than likely, either Kurama or my sister will notice first and say something."  
>"Very true. They always did have a knack for quickly noticing things."<br>After our meal was over, we changed into long-sleeved shirts and pants before heading for the Princess Theater, where I promised Mai I'd take her to see a magician perform. 

_Yusuke's POV_:  
>I nervously paced around in my room, fiddling with what was in my pant pocket. I planned on doing something that would change my life forever, and I wasn't sure of how everyone would react. Kuwabara smirked at me as I took a deep breath.<br>"Relax, Urameshi. Everything will go fine."  
>"How do you know, Kuwabara? For all I know, I could be walking right into a rejection here. What if I screw up?"<br>"You've screwed up many things, but this won't be one of them. Trust me, Urameshi. You'll do fine."  
>As we walked downstairs, my heart began pounding as I thought over my plan. Hopefully, Keiko won't react negatively with what I plan to do. Keiko smiled at me as she and Yukina finished a movie.<br>"Hey, Yusuke. What have you been up to?"  
>"Just...planning a surprise."<br>"Oh. What kind?"  
>I held up a DVD and put it into the DVD player. Immediately, Kuwabara, Botan, and Kurama gathered around the screen as an image of me appeared. I pressed play, and my image on the screen began to speak.<br>"_Hey, guys. I got something important to say. I know I could've done this in person ,but thought otherwise. Staying at my mom's, so I thought I'd make a video to pass the time_."  
>Keiko looked up at me, confused.<br>"You made this when you stayed at your mom's to care for her when she was sick,didn't you?"  
>"Yep."<br>"_I never thought I'd be a part of something like Team Urameshi or fighting off criminals, but I'm doing it. Kuwabara, Kurama, you guys, Mai, and Hiei are the best damn teammates I could ask for, and thanks for all of your help all this time. Yukina, thanks for all you've done for us over the years. Your healing abilities have done wonders for us. Keiko, well, what can I say? We've known each other since kindergarten, and you've become a real pain in the ass as we grew up."__  
><em>Keiko narrowed her eyes at me, clearly annoyed. I nodded my head back to the screen, and she looked back at the image of me.  
>"<em>Despite all of that, you've been a hell of a good friend and because of your help, I managed to pass high school. As a result of you helping me all this time, I thought I'd repay you in a way you'd remember. Turn around and you'll see what I mean.<em>"  
>As Keiko turned to look at me, her eyes widened as she saw me get down on one knee. Judging from everyone else's silence, they weren't expecting to be doing this. Kuwabara didn't look the least bit surprised since he was the only person I trusted this proposal with. I held up a gold engagement ring that had a ruby on it, her favorite jewel.<br>"Keiko, you've been by my side for as long as I can remember. Through good times and bad, you've always had my back and helped me through some pretty tough stuff over the years. We've had our share of arguments over the years, but we always manage to talk through them. Keiko, will you please marry me?"  
>I put the ring on Keiko's finger, and she smiled softly down upon me.<br>"Oh, Yusuke. Of course I'll marry you."  
>Everyone cheered as I hugged Keiko tightly. All the worrying, all of the nervousness I felt, disappeared. Knowing Keiko had said yes made me the happiest I've ever been. It's a shame Mai and Hiei couldn't have been here to witness it, but I'm sure they're having a good time on their cruise.<br>_That's a wrap for part 14. Hiei and Mai enjoy an ocean view with a sunset during their dinner, and Hiei surprises Mai with a necklace symbolizing their decision to never part. Meanwhile, Yusuke had a surprise planned of his own: a proposal to longtime friend and love, Keiko. To his delight, she said yes. Part 15 will feature Hiei and Mai returning from their vacation and telling everyone what had occured, including Hiei's proposal. Also in part 15, Keiko and Mai have a little girl talk regarding their engagements. Stay tuned to see what happens_


	15. Chapter 15

_Love for Hiei Part 15_

After packing up our bags, Mai and I headed to the main deck so we could leave the Golden Princess. Our vacation was one I would definitely remember. I could tell Mai enjoyed it as much as I did. We exited the ship and headed to a nearby group of trees, where a portal was waiting for us. Mai took my hand and smiled.  
>"Hiei, I'm glad we went on this vacation. I had a good time."<br>I smirked and kissed her hand as we walked through the portal.  
>"So did I."<br>When we got through the portal, the mansion wasn't very far away. Mai nervously looked at the ring on her finger, and I smirked at her.  
>"Relax, Mai. They'll be happy for us."<br>"I know they will. I'm not entirely sure on how to tell them, that's all."  
>I took her hand in mine and we walked into the mansion. A small blush appeared on Mai's face as everyone smiled at us. Keiko embraced Mai and smiled.<br>"Welcome back, you guys. How was the cruise?"  
>"Amazing. You should've been there."<br>"Let me help you put your things in your room."  
>After Mai and Keiko took the bags upstairs, Kuwabara smirked at me.<br>"So Shorty, get any action on that cruise?"  
>"I don't think that's any of your business, fool."<br>Kurama shook his head and smiled.  
>"I'm sure you were just pleased for that time together, Hiei."<br>"Obviously."  
>Yukina smiled at me and handed me a glass of hot tea. I took it and smirked at her.<br>"What happened while we were gone?"  
>"Nothing much. I helped Shizuru surprise Kazuma. She was released early from rehab. Yusuke also proposed to Keiko."<br>I looked to Yusuke, who nodded at me.  
>"You did, huh? About damn time, too."<br>"Watch it, Hiei. I already got that crap from Kuwabara when I first told him I wanted to propose."  
>As I drank my tea, I got to thinking about Yusuke proposing to Keiko, and how they'd react when Mai and I reveal our engagement. <p>

_Mai's POV_:  
>As Keiko was helping unpack the belongings Hiei and I brought for the vacation, I smiled as I looked at the ring on Keiko's finger.<br>"Keiko, that's a lovely ring. Where'd you get it from?"  
>"Huh? Oh, Yusuke got it for me."<br>She smiled as she lightly touched the ring. I smirked, then it disappeared as I finally figured it out.  
>"No way, Keiko! Yusuke proposed to you?!"<br>"He did. He said that since the ruby was my favorite jewel, he wanted that to be what went on the ring."  
>I closely looked at the ring and smiled. Keiko smiled, as well, recalling the proposal.<br>"He was visiting his mother one day when she was sick and made a video of him talking about all of us. When he got to my part of the video, he thanked me for being a part of his life all these years. The video image of him told me to turn around and when I did, Yusuke was on one knee holding out the ring."  
>"Oh Keiko, that's so romantic. I'm so happy for you."<br>"Thanks, Mai."  
>After we went downstairs, I rejoined Hiei in the living room. He smiled slightly upon seeing me and took my left hand in his, feeling the ring.<br>"It's best we tell them now."  
>"You're right."<br>I turned to everyone and smiled.  
>"Guys, thanks for being here to welcome us home. It really shows that we matter to you."<br>I took in a deep breath, ready to tell them my good news.  
>"Hiei and I have an announcement to make. We're engaged!"<br>Yukina and Keiko tightly embraced me, both congratulating me. Meanwhile, the guys were congratulating Hiei. By the time the girls let go of me, Kuwabara was giving Hiei a hard time.  
>"Man, Shorty. Never thought I'd see the day."<br>"Keep talking, fool, and you'll regret it."  
>I put a hand on his shoulder and smiled.<br>"Relax, Hiei. He's just messing with you. He's just as excited as everyone else."  
>"Hn."<br>I shook my head as he went upstairs, presumably to our room. Kurama raised an eyebrow at Kuwabara.  
>"Was teasing him really necessary, Kuwabara? I believe you really irritated him."<br>"Eh, whatever. Hiei'll get over it."  
>I went upstairs to see what he was up to, and saw him in our room laying on the bed looking up at the ceiling. I joined him and rested my head on his chest. He smirked and wrapped an arm around me.<br>"I was waiting for you to get up here."  
>"You had plenty of my attention during the cruise, Hiei."<br>"Perhaps I want you to myself a while longer, Mai."  
>I smiled as he lightly brushed his lips against my forehead. I found myself getting a little drowsy, and Hiei adjusted himself so I'd be more comfortable. Within moments, I fell asleep to Hiei gently stroking my hair. <p>

_Hiei's POV_:  
>Mai fell asleep as I stroked her hair. I looked down on her as she slept, using me as a pillow. Ever since we started sharing a room, she has become accustomed to using my chest as a pillow. Since it brought her closer to me, I never complained. I smiled as Mai yawned, understanding why she was tired.<br>"You just go ahead and sleep, angel. With all the excitement that went on during the vacation, you need the rest."  
>A light knock was heard at the door, and I saw Kurama walk in. He smiled as he looked at Mai.<br>"She looks so peaceful."  
>"Hn."<br>"I'm happy for the two of you. With the childhood you had, you deserve to be loved, Hiei."  
>"Mai deserves it more than me. Her parents died when she was little."<br>"But you never really knew your own parents, Hiei."  
>I smiled slightly as I stroked Mai's hair again.<br>"I guess you can say, Kurama, that we both deserve to be loved. I've never been more loved in my entire life, and it's all thanks to Mai."  
>"I agree. Ever since Mai came to be here, I saw a significant change in you. You're not as ruthless and cold as you were before."<br>What Kurama said was true. Ever since I've known Mai, I've myself change in a way that greatly shocked me. Now that she was in my life, I couldn't imagine life without her. She was not only my closest friend, but she was also the woman I loved and the only woman I'll love for the rest of my life. Now all that was left to do was wait for our wedding day, the day she would become mine...forever.  
><em>That's a wrap for part 15. Mai and Hiei return from their vacation, and Keiko tells Mai of how Yusuke proposed. After revealing her engagement to Hiei, Mai joins him in their room for some private time, where she falls asleep. Part 16 will be set months later, with a double wedding for Hiei, Mai, Yusuke, and Keiko. Stay tuned to see what happens<em>


	16. Chapter 16

_Love for Hiei Part 16: Wedding Day_

My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would come out of my chest. Today, Keiko and I were having a double wedding with Yusuke and Hiei. We decided to have the ceremony at a beach near where Yusuke used to live as the sunset, something we both wanted to do. Keiko smiled at me as Yukina finished applying her makeup.  
>"What do you think, Mai?"<br>"Yukina did a good job on you, Keiko. You look really pretty. Yusuke will be left speechless when he sees you."  
>"You obviously don't know Yusuke very well. He hardly ever stops talking."<br>"So true."  
>By this time, Botan had finished putting on my makeup. I had to admit she did a pretty good job. Both Keiko and I wore white wedding gowns, but Keiko went with pink lip gloss and eyeshadow and I went with red lip gloss and eyeshadow. We both also had red blush on our faces, but not too much.<br>"There. You both look stunning. Go ahead and take a look. I must be getting to my seat. See you soon."  
>After Botan left, Keiko and I looked at ourselves in the mirror. I felt myself getting teary-eyes, and Yukina carefully dabbed my eyes.<br>"Don't start crying yet, Mai. It'll ruin your makeup."  
>"I'll try not to, Yukina."<br>Shizuru smirked as I looked at her.  
>"You do look pretty, Mai. I don't think I ever saw you dressed so fancy before."<br>"Well, there's always a first time for everything."  
>Since Shizuru had a beachhouse here in the Human World, we got ready for the wedding there. A knock was heard at the door, and Yukina went up to it.<br>"Who is it?"  
>"It's me, my love! Got Koenma, Kurama, and Keiko's dad here, too!"<br>"Oh, good. Come in."  
>Since my family was no longer around, Kurama had offered to walk me down the aisle. He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it lightly.<br>"Mai, you look beautiful. Hiei's going to be stunned when he sees you."  
>"Speaking of Hiei, how are he and Yusuke doing?"<br>"Yusuke looks a bit anxious, but he's doing fine. Hiei, however, is the same as he always is."  
>"Figures."<br>Kurama smirked at me, then bent his head down so his lips were at my ear.  
>"He confided in me that he was a little nervous since he's never been a part of something like this before."<br>"Only slightly."  
>Shizuru and Koenma walked out first, then Yukina and Kuwabara waited by the door for their cue. Since Yukina was a good friend of mine, I chose her to be the Maid of Honor, and Kuwabara was chosen for Best Man because he was Yusuke's best friend. Soon, Yukina and Kuwabara were out the door. <p>

_Hiei's POV_:  
>As Kuwabara and my sister walked down the aisle, I smiled slightly at how she looked. She looked really happy, the happiest I've seen her since before I told her of who I was. I also heard from her that Kuwabara has been treating her very well, which means he'll live to see another day. Soon, the Wedding March was heard and everyone turned to see the brides. Keiko was being walked down the aisle by her father, while Kurama was walking with Mai. As soon as I laid my eyes on Mai, I found myself absolutely stunned. The dress she wore hugged her figure perfectly, and a crown of white flowers held her veil in place. She wore some makeup and even though I've always told her she looked better without it, today proved to be an exception. Then again, Mai looked beautiful no matter what she wore. Yusuke smirked as he looked at Keiko.<br>"Man, they both look beautiful."  
>I smirked at him, then put my eyes back on Mai.<br>"Watch it, detective. Mai's mine."  
>"Yeah, yeah."<br>As the girls reached us, Kurama and Keiko's dad took a seat in the front row. Koenma had originally decided to perform the ceremony, which we all agreed to. I stood beside Mai, and she smiled as she noticed I was looking at her.  
>"You look beautiful, Mai. You really do."<br>"Thanks, Hiei. You look pretty good yourself."  
>I linked arms with her, Yusuke did the same with Keiko, and Koenma smiled at the guests.<br>"We are all gathered here to witness the unions of Yusuke to Keiko and Mai to Hiei. I can honestly say I have not seen a get-together like this one, but I am honored nevertheless to be a part of it. They all decided to recite their own vows for this ceremony. Yusuke, you and Keiko may begin."  
>I smirked as Yusuke slowly turned to Keiko and took her hands.<br>"Keiko, we've been through a lot together since we were kids. You've helped me get through both good and bad, and were always there to back me up in case I was in trouble, which as you know was quite often."  
>Mai giggled at the truth of his words. Yusuke took in a deep breath and spoke again.<br>"Despite how much of a pain I was, you've continued to stay by me. We worked hard to get where we are now, but only because you were with me."  
>Keiko tried blinking away her tears, but a few managed to fall down her face. She smiled up at Yusuke.<br>"You pretty much said what I was going to say, Yusuke. Everything we have been through together has been leading to this day, and I still can't believe we made it. You've been my closest friend for so many years, and we'll continue to be close friends until we're old and dried up. I'm glad to have met you, and I'm even more glad to be standing here right now."  
>Koenma smiled at the two of them, then looked to me and Mai. <p>

_Mai's POV_:  
>Koenma looked at me next, and smiled as I lightly dabbed a cloth to my eyes.<br>"Mai, it is your turn to recite your vows."  
>I looked carefully at Hiei and smiled as I saw a faint one appear on his face.<br>"I can honestly say I never imagined us getting this far. We've been through so much to get here, both good and bad things. When you and the guys first took me in, I realized that I was being given a home, and I trusted you all since that first day. I talked to you first because I felt a strong sense of trust in you, and I still do. Whenever you made a promise to me, Hiei, you never broke it or went back on it, and my trust in you has become stronger because of that. I love you so much and will continue to love you for as long as I'm alive."  
>Hiei smirked as he brushed hair out of my face, then took my hands in his.<br>"Mai, you've been on my mind ever since the day we took you in. The fact that you trusted me enough to allow me to hear you speak first still surprises me to this day. You're easy to talk to, you know how to take care of yourself, and you know when I want someone to talk to. You're also a loyal person to everyone you become friends with, which explains how you were able to put up with Kuwabara for so long."  
>I smirked at Kuwabara, and he smirked back at me. I returned my gaze to Mai, who still had a bright smile on her face.<br>"We have had our fair share of arguments, but we managed to talk through it. I didn't think we'd make it this far either, but I guess we were both proven wrong. I care for you as much as you do me, and will continue to do so as long as I'm still here."  
>Koenma smiled at us, then motioned Yukina and Kuwabara to present the rings. Yukina gave my ring to Hiei and Keiko's ring to Yusuke, while Kuwabara gave Yusuke's ring to Keiko and Hiei's ring to me .Koenma nodded to them, and they returned to their places.<br>"You may now place the rings onto each other's fingers, as a sign of love, fidelity, and trust. These rings are a promise that you'll love no other and never part."  
>Keiko and I placed the boys' rings on their fingers, then they put our rings on our fingers. For extra good luck, Yusuke and Hiei kissed the wedding rings on Keiko's hand and my hand respectively. We turned back to Koenma, who smiled at us again.<br>"I now pronounces these two couples husbands and wives. Gentlemen, you may kiss your brides."  
>Hiei lifted my veil over my head carefully, then cupped my face in his hands. I smiled up at him and he smiled back.<br>"Love you, Mai."  
>"Love you, too."<br>As Keiko and I received our kisses, I thought back to when my relationship with Hiei first began. I never thought he would be the first person I talked to since I began living with the guys, but it happened. I never thought Hiei and I would get to be such good friends, but it happened. I never thought he would be the one to have my first kiss, but that happened, too. After Hiei and I parted, I looked out the corner of my eye to see Yusuke and Keiko doing the same.  
>"I now introduce to all of you Mr. and Mrs. Yusuke Urameshi, and Mr. and Mrs. Hiei Jaganshi."<br>Everyone cheered as Keiko and I walked down the aisles with our new husbands. Smiles lit up our faces as we headed to a nearby limo that Shizuru rented. We got inside, and the driver took us through a portal that would lead back to Koenma's. We got our luggage and placed them inside the trunk, then we headed back to the Human World for the reception. 

_Keiko's POV_:  
>As the limo arrived at the wedding reception, I smiled to see Yukina and Shizuru did a good job on decorating it. The reception was being held in a seafood not too far from the beach, and both the outside and inside dining areas were decorated with white streamers and balloons. Music was being played on a radio, and there were tables covered in different kinds of food. Botan saw us enter and gave a thumbs-up, ready to give the introductions. I took Yusuke's hand in mine, and I saw Mai do the same thing with Hiei.<br>"Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to introduce the two newlywed couples, Hiei and Mai Jaganshi and Yusuke and Keiko Urameshi!"  
><em>That's a wrap for part 16. The wedding day was a success as Mai and Hiei, as well as Yusuke and Keiko were joined together in holy matrimony. Part 17 will feature the wedding reception, then the newlywed couples heading off on their honeymoon. Stay tuned to see what happens on Love for Hiei Part 17: Reception and Beginning of the Honeymoon<em>


	17. Chapter 17

_Love for Hiei Part 17: Reception and Beginning of the Honeymoon_

I smirked at the introduction Botan gave us as we all entered the restaurant, which was full of people that attended the wedding. I held Mai's hand and she smiled at me.  
>"Didn't expect to get this far, Hiei?"<br>"Not really, no, but we did. That's all that matters to me."  
>Yusuke took Keiko's hand and led her to the center of the floor, and I did the same with Mai. Slow, soft music began playing, and the four of us began the traditional "First Dance". Mai rested her head on my shoulder as I gently glided her across the dance floor. I lightly brushed my lips against the top of her head and I felt her smile.<br>"I love you, Mai."  
>"I love you, too ,Hiei."<br>After the song was over, we headed for the "Head Table" to begin eating. After we began eating, everyone else followed suit. 

_Mai's POV_:  
>As I began eating my food, I kept giving Keiko smiles. She kept smiling back, thinking the same thing I was: that we could hardly believe we were both married to men that loved and cared for us. Hiei smirked as he brushed hair out of my face.<br>"I'm the one you married, Mai, not Keiko. Therefore, you should be giving me glances like those."  
>I smirked back at him and shook my head.<br>"You're not the only person in my life, you know, Hiei. You'll have plenty of chances to hold my attention when we leave for our honeymoon."  
>"Hn, good point."<br>After everyone ate their food, we began mingling with the other guests. Yukina had pulled me aside and smiled.  
>"Congratulations, Mai. I never saw my brother so happy. You really have changed him for the better."<br>"Thanks, Yukina."  
>"Where are you guys going for your honeymoon?"<br>"Oh, Hiei already took care of that. Hiei booked a balcony room for us on the Princess Cruise vessel, the Sapphire Princess. He booked one for Yusuke and Keiko, which is right next to ours."  
>After the reception was over, Hiei, Yusuke, Keiko and I got changed in Shizuru's beach house so we could get ready to leave for our honeymoon. Keiko smiled as we both changed into long-sleeved shirts and pants.<br>"Can you believe it, Mai? We shared a wedding, now we'll be sharing a honeymoon. I've been waiting for this moment for so long."  
>"Me, too, Keiko.<br>"I can't wait to leave."  
>"Neither can I."<br>Yusuke smirked as he saw me and Keiko exit the bathroom.  
>"About time you ladies got done. Let's go already."<br>"Patience, Yusuke."  
>We got into the limo and drove through a waiting portal, and we looked out the windows to see the Port of Seattle. I smiled as I saw the Sapphire Princess in its dock.<br>"I'm getting anxious now."  
>Hiei smirked and opened the limo door, holding my hand as he helped me out.<br>"How is this different than the last cruise ship we were on, Mai?"  
>"We weren't married last time, Hiei. Now, we are."<br>We all made it through check-in and security, and got to our cabins to see that our bags were waiting for us. Yusuke smirked and nodded to us.  
>"We'll meet you guys out here as soon as we unpack."<br>Hiei nodded and we walked into our cabin, which looks just like the one we used for our Hawaiian cruise. As I placed my bathroom things on the sink in the bathroom, I saw Hiei in the reflection of the mirror, standing behind me.  
>"Angel, you're taking too long."<br>"Patience, Hiei. We have a lot of time on this vacation, and plenty of time with each other. Just relax."  
>He smirked and wrapped his arms around me, resting his head on my shoulder.<br>"I just can't believe you're mine now. Pretty soon, we'll become mates."  
>"I know. That's a big step for us."<br>He turned me so that I was facing him and put his arms back around my waist.  
>"Are you ready to take such a big step, Mai? When demons mate, it can be a painful process for some when the female gets marked."<br>"I've survived things that are much worse, Hiei, or did you forget?"  
>"No, I haven't. I'm just telling you ahead of time that it may be painful for you."<br>"I'll be fine, I promise. Have I ever lied to you?"  
>"Hn."<br>I put my arms around his neck and smiled.  
>"It's nothing to worry about, love. I know that if I feel any pain, it won't have been on purpose."<br>"Hn, fine."  
>We joined Yusuke and Keiko in the hall and headed for the Promenade Deck to watch as the ship headed out of the port. After the ship left its dock, our honeymoon began.<br>_That's a wrap for part 17. After the wedding reception, Hiei, Mai, Yusuke, and Keiko head out for their honeymoon aboard the Princess Cruise vessel, the Sapphire Princess. Part 18 will feature a quiet dinner in the restaurant, the Crown Grill. Also in part 18, both newlywed couples begin their wedding nights. Stay tuned to see what happens_


	18. Chapter 18

_Love for Hiei Part 18: Dinner and a Wedding Night_

Not long after we all entered our cabins, we began getting ready for dinner. As I put on a nice shirt and pants, I looked out to the balcony to see that the ship had left port.  
>"Hey, Keiko, check it out. The ship's leaving."<br>"How long again until we reach Alaska?"  
>"We'll have a day at sea, then we'll reach Juneau the following day."<br>"I wonder what there is to do there? Do you know if a shore excursion is reserved for us in Juneau?"  
>"Not sure. After dinner, we'll stop by the Shore Excursion deck to find out."<br>I smirked as I saw the nice dress Keiko was wearing, which was a strapless black dress that went to just below her knees. Her hair was in curls, provided by the curler she brought with her. She wore no makeup, but who was I to complain? Keiko was my wife now, and she looked good with or without makeup.  
>"You look great, Keiko. I mean that."<br>"Thanks, Yusuke. You clean up pretty nicely yourself."  
>We exited our room to see Hiei and Mai waiting just outside their cabin. Hiei, like myself, wasn't fond of suits and decided to wear a nice shirt and pants like I did. Like Keiko, Mai wore a dress. Mai's dress was a white dress with two straps that rested on her shoulders and fell to her ankles. Judging from how Hiei was looking at her, I could tell he liked what he saw. Mai saw us and smiled.<br>"There you guys are. We're ready to go."  
>"Cool. Let's eat."<br>"Oh, Yusuke. We ate at the reception just hours ago."  
>"So? From what I hear, cruise ships provide some of the best food ever. Just ask Hiei and Mai, Keiko. They ate cruise ship food before."<br>Mai nodded and Hiei smirked.  
>"It was good, I admit, but I haven't had anything yet that makes Kurama's cooking pale in comparison."<br>"Good point."  
>Luckily the Crown Grill wasn't crowded, so we were all seated at a table for four near the window, which had a good view of the Pacific Ocean. <p>

_Mai's POV_:  
>After we sat down, menus were delivered to us. There was a vast selection to choose from, which made it even more difficult to pick one I really wanted. I felt a hand on my knee and smirked at Hiei, who was smirking back at me.<br>"Anything yet?"  
>"Not yet. I have a couple of ideas, though. The lobster tail with garlic mashed potatoes or the scallops, grilled shrimp, and crab leg platter. They both sound good."<br>Keiko agreed with my opinion and smiled.  
>"Thanks for helping me decide, Mai. I'm going for that platter you just mentioned."<br>"At least someone knows what they want."  
>Yusuke had simply decided on the one-pound crab leg plate with coleslaw and Hiei decided on the lobster tail with the potatoes. The waitress smiled at me as I looked up at her.<br>"I'll also have the lobster tail with the garlic mashed potatoes, please. And also bring out a bottle of red wine out for us, if you could."  
>"Of course. I'll be right out with your wine and some biscuits with butter."<br>After she left, Keiko smiled at me.  
>"Do you think Yusuke and I will like the food?"<br>"I hope so. The food we had on the Golden Princess was really tasty."  
>The wine and biscuits were soon delivered, and we snacked on them as we enjoyed the view of the ocean. Yusuke poured wine into our glasses and put an arm around Keiko while holding up his own glass. Hiei did the same with me, and the rest of us had our glasses raised, as well.<br>"I just want to propose a toast to all of us here. We were once a group of four people in a bigger group of friends, and now look at us. I married Keiko, my closest friend, and Hiei married, Mai, his closest friend. Now after a double wedding, we're all enjoying a double honeymoon aboard a cruise ship, which Hiei is to be given credit for. To friends."  
>We all toasted our glasses and drank the wine, which tasted quite good. I excused myself to the ladies room, with Keiko right behind me. I had brought our hair brushes in my bag, and we brushed our hair. Keiko turned to me with a smile.<br>"How does it feel to be married, Mai?"  
>"It's actually hard to describe it."<br>"I know what you mean. There are a lot of emotions you feel, and you're not sure of which word would be the right one to use."  
>After using the restroom and washing our hands, we walked back to the table. My communicator vibrated, and Keiko and I saw Yukina's face, stained with tears.<br>"Yukina ,what's wrong?"  
>"It's Kazuma. He and I were walking around a park in the Human World when...a punk in a sports car..."<br>Keiko's eyes widened as Yukina's eyes filled up with more tears.  
>"Yukina, tell us what happened."<br>"There was a drive-by shooting. Kazuma was helping a couple scared kids find their parents when he was shot. Several others were randomly shot, too. Two more adults and one 7-year old girl were shot, and they all just left for the hospital."  
>My heart began beating faster as I heard these news.<br>"Is Kuwabara's wound serious?"  
>"I...I don't know. They just left with him and the other victims. I wanted to let you know as soon as possible."<br>"Okay. Thanks for telling us, Yukina."  
>After her face disappeared, Keiko looked to the table, where our food had just been delivered.<br>"How will we tell Yusuke? Kuwabara is his best friend."  
>"We just tell the truth, Keiko. That's the only thing we can do."<br>We sat down with solemn faces, and Hiei immediately knew something was wrong. He put a hand on my shoulder and looked at me closely.  
>"Mai?"<br>"We...just got a call from Yukina on my communicator. There...was a drive-by shooting at a park where Yukina and Kuwabara were on an outing."  
>Yusuke stopped eating and looked at me closely, eyes narrowed.<br>"How are they?"  
>"Yukina managed to avoid getting shot, but Kuwabara wasn't so lucky. He was helping a couple of scared kids find their parents with he, a 7-year old girl that he was helping, and two other adults were shot."<br>Hiei breathed a sigh of relief at hearing Yukina was fine, but Yusuke didn't like the idea of his best friend getting shot.  
>"Did Yukina say the wound was serious?"<br>"She wasn't sure. They had just taken the victims to the hospital, and she wasn't able to get a good look at him before he left."  
>Yusuke didn't say another word, and neither did we as we finished our food. <p>

_Yusuke's POV_:  
>Soon after dinner, we retired to our cabins to think over what had happened. As soon as Keiko and I entered our cabin and shut the door, I clenched a fist and punched the wall, luckily not leaving a mark. As small tears fell down my face, Keiko sat me down on the bed next to her and tried wiping the tears away.<br>"He'll be fine, Yusuke. Remember how he survived that attack by Toguro? He'll survive this, too."  
>"We don't know how serious his wound is, Keiko. For all we know, that bullet could've hit something vital."<br>Keiko said nothing more as I held her closely, trying to make sense out of it. She comfortingly rubbed my back, which helped stop the tears. She took my face in her hands and looked me in the eye.  
>"Yusuke Urameshi, crying about this won't help Kuwabara get better. Don't forget that he has survived much worse than this before. You guys are two of the toughest guys out there, and nothing stopped you from getting up if you were knocked down. All we can do is hope that he'll make it, not think of the worst case scenario."<br>Feeling better, I put my hands on her and smiled.  
>"Thanks, Keiko. That helps a lot."<br>"You know I'm always here to help, Yusuke."  
>Before she could say another word, I kissed her like I hadn't before. She immediately began kissing me back, and we shared our first night together as husband and wife. <p>

_Hiei's POV_:  
>After Mai and I got into bed, I began thinking of what could've happened to Yukina today. She could've been a fatality in the shooting that happened but to my relief, she wasn't. Mai looked at me as she rested her head on my chest.<br>"Hopefully, none of the injuries are serious."  
>"Although Kuwabara is annoying and irritating at times, he is a valuable member of our team...and a good friend. He's also good to my sister."<br>"He's survived worse than this before, hasn't he?"  
>"He has had a few brushes with death,yes."<br>"I have a feeling that none of the wounds on the victims were fatal."  
>I smirked at her optimism and brushed hair out of her face.<br>"We can worry about that tomorrow. Right now, I believe I have an appointment with my mate-to-be."  
>Mai looked at me nervously and I smiled, placing a hand on her face.<br>"The marking process will be a bit painful, but it'll be worth it, Mai. It won't pain you for too long, I promise."  
>"I trust you, Hiei. It's just I never did anything like this before, and it makes me nervous."<br>"I haven't done this before, either, Mai. Just relax."  
>As I felt her body relax, I laid my body on top of hers and smirked.<br>"No turning back now, Mai."  
>She smirked back at me and placed her hands on my shoulders.<br>"I suppose not."  
>She kissed me, and I kissed her back. As we spent our first night together as husband and wife, I marked her as mine. While we were married in the human sense, a demon is bound to a woman when he has marked her as his. She had flinched at the sudden pain she felt, but I kissed the new mark, which helped her relax some more. We fell asleep that night, happy to have had this time alone together and hoping Kuwabara makes it through the night.<br>_That's a wrap for part 18. Yusuke, Keiko, Hiei and Mai enjoy a nice dinner with an oceanview, but their happiness was interrupted when Yukina tells Mai and Keiko something that shocks not only them, but Yusuke and Hiei to the core: a drive-by shooting occurred in the Human World that resulted in four people being shot, including Kuwabara. Part 19 will be in Yukina's POV the following day as she and the others pay Kuwabara a visit in the hospital. Also in part 19, Yukina gets a hold of her brother to tell him the conditions of Kuwabara and the other victims. Stay tuned to see what happens_


	19. Chapter 19

Love for Hiei Part 19

Kurama, Shizuru, and Botan decided to accompany me when I went to visit Kazuma in the hospital. All I could think about was how he tried helping those children when the situation was so dangerous. Kurama smiled slightly as he sensed how nervous I was.  
>"No need to worry, Yukina. Kuwabara will be just fine. He's survived much worse than this before."<br>"I know. I'm just hoping his wound wasn't too serious."  
>Botan pointed to the hospital as it came into view.<br>"There it is, guys."  
>"My baby brother better be okay in there."<br>"Relax, Shizuru. Like I told Yukina, Kuwabara has survived worse than this before. He'll pull through, you'll see."  
>I approached the information desk and looked carefully at the receptionist.<br>"My friends and I are looking for Kazuma Kuwabara. He was one of the victims of the drive-by shooting at the park yesterday."  
>"Let's see here...ah, here he is. He's on the 3rd floor in room 311. Go on up, and I'll let his doctor know you're coming to see him."<br>Getting to the 3rd floor didn't take too long, and my nervousness grew as I saw Kazuma's doctor outside of his door. Shizuru approached him, eyes narrowed.  
>"How's my brother?"<br>"Well, his wounds weren't life threatening."  
>My nervousness vanished as I heard these words. It made me happy to know Kazuma was okay. I looked up at the doctor and smiled.<br>"What happened?"  
>"The bullet hit him in his abdomen, but it missed his vitals. We had to perform surgery to retrieve the bullet, and he had to have stitches put into place to seal the wound."<br>"Will he have a scar?"  
>"A small one, but yes. I'll let him know you're here."<br>He entered Kazuma's room and I turned to Shizuru, who looked just as pleased as I was.  
>"I can't believe it, Shizuru. Kazuma's okay."<br>"Kurama did say he survived worse than this before."  
>Botan sighed with relief and smiled.<br>"At least the wound wasn't too serious. I must go tell Koenma. I'll see you back at the mansion."  
>A portal was summoned and she walked through it. I looked up as the doctor emerged from Kazuma's room.<br>"Which one of you is Yukina?"  
>"Um, that's me."<br>"I told him who was here and he said he wanted to see you. Go on in."  
>With that, the doctor left. I looked up at Shizuru and she smirked at me.<br>"Go on in and see him. Kurama and I will be waiting out here."  
>I walked into the room to see Kazuma sitting up in his bed, looking at me with his trademark smile.<br>"Hey, Yukina! Come on in!"  
>I shut the door behind me and sat in the chair beside his bed. I took his hand and smiled.<br>"How are you feeling, Kazuma?"  
>"Eh, okay, I guess. A little sore, but I'm fine. Sucks that I'm gonna have a scar, though."<br>"Have you heard about the other victims?"  
>"Yeah, this morning. The two adults and that little girl pulled through, too. Their injuries weren't life threatening either. The creep responsible turns out to be a demon wanting revenge on me and the team for turning him during one of our cases. Koenma already took care of him."<br>"Oh, that's great. When will you be able to leave?"  
>"My doctor says I can later this afternoon, if I wanted to."<br>"Okay. I'll send in Kurama and Shizuru. I'm going to contact my brother."  
>"Sure. Yukina?"<br>I looked back at him and he smiled while putting a hand to my face.  
>"This wound I got, it was worth it because you're okay."<br>"Kazuma, that's so sweet. I'll be back soon."  
>After I sent Kurama and Shizuru into Kazuma's room, I pulled out my communicator and managed to get a hold of Hiei.<br>"Hiei, I have news on Kazuma."  
>"What's up, then?"<br>"His injuries, as well as the victims' injuries, weren't life threatening. The bullet missed Kazuma's vitals and they had to perform surgery to remove it, but he'll only get a small scar."  
>"Hn. Looks like the moron did something right for a change."<br>I smiled, knowing my brother really was thankful that nothing happened to me.  
>"How is your honeymoon going?"<br>"At sea right now. We're supposed to arrive in Juneau, Alaska tomorrow morning."  
>"Where's everyone else?"<br>"Yusuke and I are sitting in a bar right now while the girls check out one of the gift shops. We're meeting here before we go to lunch."  
>"I'm glad everyone's having a good time. Did you and Mai enjoy your wedding night?"<br>Hiei smirked as I winked at him, then looked behind him to make sure no one was eavesdropping.  
>"Yes, Yukina.I marked her, too."<br>"Is she okay?"  
>"She's fine. The mark is still a bit sore because it's fairly new, but I told her that doesn't last long."<br>"I have to go, Hiei."  
>"Tell them I said hello."<br>I smiled as the image of my brother disappeared. As I rejoined everyone in Kazuma's room, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. Knowing he was okay made me really happy, and that he'll be able to survive anything because of his strength and determination.  
><em>That's a wrap for part 19. Kazuma, as well as the other shooting victims, survived the night and have made a full recovery. Part 20 will begin in Hiei's POV right after he finished his talk with his sister. Also in part 20, Yusuke gets a surprise call from Kuwabara through his communicator right after he was brought home to the mansion. Stay tuned to see what happens<em>


	20. Chapter 20

_Love for Hiei Part 20_

After putting my communicator in my pocket, I looked over to Yusuke to make sure he hadn't heard anything. Luckily, he had ordered himself a drink and was currently sitting on one of the lounge chairs, which was far enough away to where he didn't hear what I was saying. As irritating as the Spirit Detective was, he was loyal and always wanting to help his friends. It was then I decided not to tell Yusuke about Kuwabara leaving the hospital. I figured a surprise like this one will do him some good, for I found his quiet attitude not a characteristic I wanted to see. Mai and Keiko showed up, and Mai took my arm and smiled.  
>"Sorry if we kept you guys waiting. Keiko and I couldn't pick the right things to buy."<br>"Hn."  
>She smirked at my never-changing attitude, but didn't say anything. Over time she had come to accept the fact I would act like that sometimes, something that pleased me. I tried looking into a small bag, but she smiled and put it behind her back.<br>"Not now, Hiei. I wanted to surprise you with this. You'll get to see it after we get a bite to eat."  
>"Must I?"<br>"Yes, or I can just take it back to the store."  
>"Hn, fine."<br>Keiko was sitting beside Yusuke on another chair, trying to get him to talk to her. He looked up at her and smiled, but it was a weak one. He said something that made her brush a small tear away from his face as it escaped his eye, and he let her embrace her tightly. Kuwabara's being shot greatly affected him seeing as how they were really close friends. Keiko and Yusuke then stood up and we headed for the lift that would take us to a lunch buffet they were having on the Lido Deck. Mai narrowed her eyes as he looked at Yusuke.  
>"Poor guy. Kuwabara must mean a lot to him."<br>"Hn. He doesn't admit it, but I've been thinking the same thing myself."  
>"They've been through so much together. It's heartbreaking to know someone's going through that, yet Yusuke is unable to leave. He wants to be there for both Kuwabara and Keiko, but he feels leaving one to see another would let them both down."<br>I grew quiet as I heard her words, then a smirk came to my face as I thought of an idea.  
>"Mai, save me a seat at the table you'll all be sitting in."<br>"Sure Hiei, but where are you going?"  
>"Gotta wash my hands first."<br>She raised an eyebrow at me, but nodded her head. She followed Yusuke and Keiko to the buffet while I swiftly ran toward our cabin, a place where privacy was guaranteed. I took out my communicator, hoping my little idea would work. 

_Kuwabara's POV_:  
>Being back home, I thought, was a great deal better than being in some hospital. It hasn't been that long of a time since I was brought back to the mansion, and I was currently laying down on the couch in the living room. My communicator vibrated and I raised an eyebrow to see Hiei's face when I opened it.<br>"Hey, Shorty. What's up?"  
>"Hn. Considering you helped my sister escape injury, fool, I'll let that go. I'm contacting you to talk about the Spirit Detective."<br>"Urameshi? What about him?"  
>"His quiet and depressing attitude is beginning to bug me. If he keeps it up, it'll ruin our honeymoons with Keiko and Mai."<br>"What do you want me to do about it?"  
>"Contact him yourself. Say or do anything to snap him out of it before I'm forced to do it myself."<br>As quickly as the talk began, it ended. I put my communicator away and smirked. I have known Hiei for a long time, and I know he contact me because he was concerned about Yusuke. Of course with Hiei being Hiei, he wouldn't admit it. Yukina entered the living room and smiled as she placed her hand on the bandage that was around my stomach. She took it off and nodded to me.  
>"Good news, Kazuma. The wound has closed up completely. I think you'll have your Spirit Energy to thank for that. Pretty soon, you can get the stitches taken out."<br>"About time. Man, I feel sore."  
>"The doctor says you'll feel that way for a few more days. Would you like me to get you a cold glass of water?"<br>"Nah, got some already. Thanks though, Yukina."  
>"I'll be upstairs in our room if you need anything, Kazuma."<br>She was about to leave, then stopped as she placed her hand on my face. My eyes widened slightly as I saw tears fall down her face.  
>"Yu-Yukina?"<br>"Kazuma, I'm so glad you're okay. I was afraid you weren't going to make it."  
>"Eh, don't worry about it. Nothing can keep Kazuma Kuwabara done that easily!"<br>She giggled as I wiped away her tears. After placing a soft kiss on my lips, she hurried up the stairs. After she left, I got out my communicator and smirked.  
>"Boy, is Urameshi gonna be surprised. Can't wait to see the look on his face." <p>

_Yusuke's POV_:  
>Not long after Hiei got back, we began checking out the buffet. Today's buffet theme was "Asian Cuisine", something that made me smile slightly. A lot of this stuff reminded me of the food Kurama made at home. Keiko saw the small smile on my face and place a hand on my arm.<br>"Feeling better, Yusuke?"  
>"A little bit. This food just reminds me of home, that's all. I'm beginning to miss Kurama's cooking."<br>"Me, too. Let's just enjoy the rest of our honeymoon, okay? We'll be able to see Kuwabara when we're finished with our vacation."  
>"I guess you're right."<br>After loading our plates, we all began to eat. Mai sighed as she tasted the lemon chicken.  
>"This is delicious, but I agree with you, Yusuke."<br>"Huh?"  
>"I don't think it can compare with Kurama's food."<br>I smirked and continued eating. After swallowing what I had, my communicator vibrated. I noticed a smirk on Hiei's face and raised an eyebrow at him.  
>"I suggest you take that, Detective. Could be important."<br>"Why do I get the feeling you're up to something, Hiei?"  
>"What make you think I am? Just answer it."<br>I shook my head and opened the communicator to see, to my surprise, Kuwabara's face.  
>"Hey, Urameshi!"<br>"Kuwabara?! You're okay?!"  
>"Of course I am! The bullet missed my vitals, and my wound closed up, too. Tomorrow, I'm going to the hospital to get my stitches taken out. Cool, huh?! Yukina thinks my Spirit Energy helped me get better."<br>"Where are you right now?"  
>"I was brought home a couple hours ago."<br>I then realized what the smirk on Hiei's face meant. He must've contacted Kuwabara and told him about how I've been feeling since I heard about the shooting. Mai looked at Hiei in shock that he kept something like this a secret.  
>"Hiei, why didn't you say anything?"<br>"Didn't want to ruin the surprise, Mai. I figured seeing the fool's face will get him out of his depression. It was beginning to bug me."  
>I looked at the screen to see a smirk on Kuwabara's face.<br>"Out of the loop-de-loop again, eh Urameshi?!"  
>"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Very funny."<br>"Well, gotta go. Enjoy your honeymoon, Urameshi."  
>"Will do, buddy."<br>After the talk was over, I looked at Hiei to see the smirk was off his face and now held a look of slight embarrassment.  
>"You were concerned about me, huh?"<br>"Hn, what makes you say that?"  
>"You're saying my attitude was bugging you. You wouldn't have gotten a hold of Kuwabara yourself if you weren't at all concerned about me."<br>"Hn. Believe what you want to, Detective."  
>I shook my head, and we finished our food in silence. Knowing now that Kuwabara was okay made me feel like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders, and I began feeling much better because of it. Keiko saw how much more relaxed I was and smiled.<br>"I guess talking with him helped. You look a lot better than you were earlier."  
>"I guess so."<br>_That's a wrap for part 20. In a surprising act of kindness, Hiei surprised Yusuke by arranging for Kuwabara to contact him. After talking with Kuwabara, Yusuke begins feeling better. Part 21 will be the final chapter, which will be set several months later, and will begin in Mai's POV. Won't tell you what happens since I want the readers to be surprised. Stay tuned to see what happens on the final chapter_


	21. Chapter 21

_Love for Hiei Part 21: The Final Chapter_

As the pain disappeared from my body, I adjusted myself in the bed at the Spirit World Headquarters' infirmary. Hiei wiped the sweat off my forehead and smiled at me.  
>"You did a great job, Mai. I'm proud of you."<br>"I never realized what hard work something like this is. I guess I was skeptical until it happened to me."  
>Before Hiei could say anything else, my doctor and a nurse rolled in two bassinets, each holding a small bundle. One bundle was blue, and the other was pink. The doctor smiled at me and nodded.<br>"Both of them are healthy. You did a great job, Mai. I recommend, though that you stay the night since having twins can be a painful, exhausting experience."  
>"Sure thing. Can I hold my babies?"<br>"Of course you can."  
>Hiei took the pink bundle and I was given the blue one. Once Hiei and I were alone, I smiled as I looked at him.<br>"Can you believe it,Hiei? We're the parents of twins."  
>"Hn. It definitely was a surprise, especially for me." <p>

_Mai's POV(flashback)_:  
><em>Not long after we got back from our honeymoon, I found out I was pregnant. When I told Hiei, he didn't say much. It's to be expected since he never before pictured himself having children. Currently, Keiko and I were just getting back from the infirmary inside of the Spirit World Headquarters. A huge smile lit up Keiko's face as she looked at my stomach.<em>_  
><em>_"I can't believe it, Mai! You're having twins!"__  
><em>_"I know. I can't believe it, either. Do you think he'll care that I'm having both a boy and girl?"__  
><em>_"Don't think so. I don't think Hiei will care as long as you and the babies are healthy. What I do know is that he'll be even more shocked to know he's having two babies instead of just one."__  
><em>_"No doubt about that."__  
><em>_Kurama greeted us as we entered the mansion's kitchen, a plate of food in each hand.__  
><em>_"Welcome back, ladies. I figured you might be hungry, so I made you both some lunch."__  
><em>_"Awesome! Thanks, Kurama!"__  
><em>_He laughed as Keiko dug into her food. He saw me looking at him and smiled.__  
><em>_"Mai, is something wrong?"__  
><em>_"No, Kurama. Do you know where Hiei is? I need to speak with him."__  
><em>_"Hmm. I think he's in your room, Mai."__  
><em>_After walking up the stairs and entering our room, I smiled as I saw Hiei lying on the bed, facing the ceiling.__  
><em>_"Hiei, I'm back."__  
><em>_"Hn, about time."__  
><em>_I smirked and laid down beside him, resting my head on his bare chest. I sighed as he began running his fingers through my hair.__  
><em>_"What did the doctor say?"__  
><em>_"Everything checked out okay. The babies will be just fine."__  
><em>_He turned to face me, and I giggled as I saw how wide open his eyes were now. We both sat up and he placed a hand on my face.__  
><em>_"Mai, tell me you're joking."__  
><em>_"No, Hiei. I'm dead serious. I'm having twins."__  
><em>_"Twins?"__  
><em>_"Yeah."__  
><em>_He got up from the bed and I followed him. He pinned me against the wall with a smirk on his face.__  
><em>_"You're not joking?"__  
><em>_"Of course not."__  
><em>_With that, he tightly embraced me.__  
><em>_"What are they?"__  
><em>_"I'm having a boy and girl, one of each."__  
><em>_"Are they healthy?"__  
><em>_"Yep. They're doing just fine."__  
><em>_Hiei took my face in his hands and smiled.__  
><em>_"You have no idea how happy I am right now, Mai. I already have you, and now I find out I'm going to be the father of twins. Now I know I have everything I wanted."__  
><em>_"What do you mean?"__  
><em>_"I have a mate that I love very much, and I'm going to have two children. What more could I possibly need?"__  
><em>_I smiled as I kissed him and put my arms around him. He did have a point: with each other and two children on the way, what more could we possibly need than that?__  
><em>  
><em>Flashback End(Hiei's POV)<em>:  
>I smiled as the pink bundle began to move. She looked a lot like her mother. She had her mother's hair and facial shape, but she had my crimson eyes. I took a peek at the blue bundle my mate was holding. Our son had my hair and facial shape, but had his mother's brown eyes.<br>"Mai, what should we name them?"  
>"Hm. I've always liked the name Toya."<br>"Hn, looks like we named the boy. What about his sister?"  
>Mai smiled at me as we switched babies. She held our daughter closer to her as she opened her eyes again.<br>"I want to name her after your mother, Hina."  
>"After my mother? Why?"<br>"Had she not brought you into this world, I never would've met you. It's my way of thanking her."  
>"I like that idea."<br>Hina began crying softly, and Mai smiled as she saw what the problem was.  
>"Looks like she's hungry. Hiei, could you have me that bottle?"<br>I handed one of the bottles to her, and she gave it to Hina, who drank it eagerly. Soon Toya was awake and like his sister, he was hungry, too. Since Mai's hands were full, I fed Toya his bottle. After we burped them, we put them back into their bassinets and they immediately fell asleep. I got onto the bed beside Mai and took her hand, feeling her wedding ring. It seemed so hard to believe that when I first met her, she didn't speak a word. My feelings for her began that day at Koenma's office when she asked me to stay in the infirmary with her. Back then, I had no idea she and I would end up becoming so close. I thought that the feelings would just go away since at that point, I thought emotions and love were just a waste of time. I'm glad now that I changed my opinion. While I haven't really changed, I knew that I was a different person, and I was more than happy to blame Mai for that.  
><em>That's a final wrap for the story. I hope you readers enjoyed it. Took a while to get to this point, but here we are. Thank you, readers, for messaging me your comments. Feel free to check out my other stories and let me know what you think of them :D<em>


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